Repair
by shrimpette
Summary: Naruto and Sakura work as graphic designers for Konoha fashion magazine. One of their former co-workers, whose career as a model ended rather abruptly, decides to come back after four years of ignoring them. Nobody knows what really happened but there's a gossip that his older brother is responsible for ruining Sasuke as a model. AU, yaoi, adult themes&language, narusasunaru
1. Changes

**A/N: First of all-I don't own Naruto or anything else for that matter. I own this story, I guess. But not the characters, movies that are mentioned in it, etc.**

**And the plot is _not_ inspired by Ugly Betty, Devil Wears Prada or whatever else you can think of-it's original. And the story doesn't exactly revolve around fashion industry either-the sideplot has probably more to do with courtroom drama. But it's still mainly a romance. **

**WARNINGS: yaoi, lemons in the later chapters, mental disorders & illnesses, murder, angst;**

**18+ !**

**EDIT: To those, who are already reading the story-I'm sorry. I've decided to, umm, organize this whole fic again, and by organizing it I mean fucking it up completely. So, what I did was that I linked some of the chapters together, so now, instead of having 24 chapters (and at least 15 more in mind), I have now 11. Because I realized that the number of chapters might be a little bit intimidating for new readers. Plus, one of the first chapters was like 1,000 words long and it was pathetic. So, if you're lost and you want to resume reading from the moment you've stopped, this is how the chapters are organized now:**

**1. Changes (chap 1 + chap 2)**

**2. Coming Back (3+4+5)**

**3. Tomorrow (6+7+8)**

**4. Demons (9+10+11)**

**5. Halloween**

**6. The Truth (13+14+15)**

**7. Diagnosis (16+17)**

**8. Coming Out (18+19)**

**9. Home (20+21)**

**10. Pancakes (22+23)**

**11. The Basement**

**Yup. I'm hopeless. **

* * *

><p>Naruto was sitting with Sakura in the breakroom. The young woman's face was tense, she knew she wasn't going to like the changes. Sasuke was coming back. Just like that. Or so it seemed like. Four years ago he abandoned the fashion magazine for which he worked together with Naruto and Sakura, and decided to became a model for Orochimaru. This fact itself wasn't so incriminating, but he also badmouthed the magazine throughout his rather short modeling career. She didn't really care about why it ended so abruptly, but she heard some rumors anyway. Some said that the whole modeling agency ceased to exist after it got sued multiple times by models formerly working for it. Some said that Sasuke was too difficult to work with. The latter was probably true.<p>

"Aren't you at least a little bit worried?" she asked, sending Naruto a miserable look.

"I… I don't know. It will be weird, this much is sure." He answered slowly.

He really didn't know what to think about the situation. Back in the days the three of them were friends, so he should be happy, but these four years were rather bad for their relations. Sasuke wasn't even interested in talking to them, he said that they're never going to accomplish anything, and that he didn't want to spend his time hanging out with losers. He also said that _Konoha_ journalists never wrote anything original and that they just copied everything that major fashion magazines would show or say. During these four years the magazine grew and became a major influence in the fashion world, so Sasuke should eat his words, but it still hurt. Naruto didn't even know why the magazine is taking Sasuke back. Sure, he did become rather popular and _Konoha_ could expect a short rise in sales, but was it really worth it? Kakashi, their former supervisor, was to be responsible for him, but that didn't make the decision more understandable.

Obviously, there was a time, when he _wanted_ Sasuke to come back, and he tried to contact him, but Sasuke was completely ignoring him and the whole _Konoha_ crew. He even declined an interview with them. When they first learned that Sasuke is leaving the magazine to be a model, they wanted to congratulate him, but then he said that he was going to work for Oto, and everyone became worried because the agency had a really bad reputation. The majority of the models allegedly had to starve themselves, and one of them, Kimimaro, even died of heart failure caused by anorexia. The models were all high-end and popular, but it all seemed rather dangerous.

Especially since Sasuke didn't have the right attitude. He always wanted to become a big fish, and didn't care about what he will sacrifice in order to achieve his dream. It was somehow related to the fact that his family used to be _really_ rich, as Sakura told him. Naruto did his research and found some articles about Uchihas going bankrupt because of their son's gambling debts, and even killing themselves when they reached an absolute zero. Well, it _must_ have been difficult for Sasuke, losing your parents _and_ your fortune. All he was left with was the family's house and a brother who had caused all this misery. "No wonder he was such a dick." Naruto thought to himself, immediately feeling guilty about calling Sasuke a dick. He _was_ one, of course, but it was somehow not his fault.

"Who is he going to work with?" Naruto asked.

"I heard Kakashi saying that he will be working with Hinata and Ino." Sakura answered. The women were working as creative consultants in the Photo Department, which basically meant that they were to choose fashion items for photo sessions.

"Well, he _was_ good with that. I mean with choosing what to wear."

"Yeah, except for that time when he decided to grow his hair and wear a one-piece pantsuit." Sakura laughed uncontrollably.

"And yet you were _still_ in love with him," Naruto teased her.

She looked at him, pretending to be hurt. She had a crush on Sasuke for the whole two years they spend working together. She was still in love when he left them and claimed that he didn't want to see them anymore. A whole year passed until she forgot about him. And now she hated the fact that she was in love with such a douchebag. When Naruto noticed it three years ago, he felt that he _should_ feel happy, after all-this was the girl of his dreams becoming available again, but he discovered that he _wasn't_ madly in love with her. He loved her, but as a friend. She didn't seem to be bothered by it, so they simply became even better friends than they were before. If one was to believe the office gossip, she was now dating Rock, but Naruto knew that it wasn't true. Some months ago at one of the less official parties Sakura and Kakashi decided to spend a good hour in a hotel room that Rock and Kakashi were to share. It just so happened that Rock came in late, so everyone assumed that he was the lucky guy. Especially since every year he would send Sakura a valentine card. Some men congratulated him, and he, without knowing what they were talking about, claimed that he did not have sex with her, but everyone assumed that Rock was simply a gentleman. Later on Sakura asked him to not tell anyone about her one night stand with Kakashi, and Rock, unhappily, agreed. Only Naruto knew that it, in fact, _wasn't_ a one night stand, but rather two-times-a-week-fucking.

"Well, I was young and stupid back then." she stated.

"When exactly is he… you know?" Naruto asked.

"Coming back? Well, I believe that he's already in the building. Probably talks with Tsunade about some important stuff."

Already here? Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He felt nervous and sick. He didn't know if he should look for him and greet him, and act as if nothing happened, or just ignore the fact that he is here. They wouldn't see each other very often, after all, he and Sakura were graphic designers, so they didn't have any reason to talk about work matters with someone, who would choose which bags were _in_. Their offices weren't even on the same floor. Obviously, there were bathrooms, and breakroom, and…

"Should we go and see him?"

"Are you crazy? I don't ever, ever, ever want to talk to that bastard again!" Sakura hissed and shrugged with disgust.

"Aren't you even a little bit curious?"

"About what?"

"I don't know, don't you want to see how he looks like? I mean, last time we saw him at that runway, he was thinner than ever," Naruto said, hoping to evoke some interest in the woman. "And aren't you curious why will he work with Hinata and Ino? First, he worked with us, then he became a model, and now he chooses bags." Sakura looked at him irritated.

"I'm not meeting him _now_. Even if I'm curious, which is _your_ fault. Let's see him tomorrow. By accident." Naruto giggled.

* * *

><p>They didn't have to wait till tomorrow to learn anything, because they were visited by Hinata and Ino three hours later. The women looked at the pair with dead eyes, acting as if their cute dresses were covered with feces.<p>

"Oh. My. God." Ino shout-whispered and took an empty seat, which just happened to belong to Naruto, who was just making coffee in the left corner of the small room. Naruto smiled and stood by Hinata, who blushed slightly. He knew that she had a crush on him since forever, but he wasn't interested. He didn't even know if he should simply tell her that or just wait until she gets bored with it. Sakura told him in secret that Hinata is still a virgin, and that _probably_ she doesn't really want to be with him, she simply wants to be in love with him. She also made him swear that he will not break Hinata's heart. "She will eventually grow out of this," she told him. Three years ago. Oh, well.

"Sooo… what brings you here?" Sakura asked nonchalantly, as if she wasn't aware of anything that could be even slightly interesting.

"Oh, come on, Sakura. I know you want to know!" shouted Ino.

"Know what?"

"About Sasuke, obviously."

"And why would I want to know anything… oh, who am I kidding? Of course I want to know! Sooo… what it's like?"

Ino looked at her, pleased that she has something juicy to share. Hinata just stood there. Naruto suspected that she was somehow forced into coming here and acting as if something really happened.

"Well, first of all-the bad news is that he's still handsome. And I mean handsome-handsome." "Duh, that's probably why he was a model," Sakura replied yawning.

"But he has a really trashy tattoo on his neck. It's like a tribal, but worse!" Women laughed together.

"So, what's more? What is he doing right now?"

"Well, at first he came down to us with Kakashi. It turns out that it's not even certain whether he will stay here for good. It's just a probation, to see if he will still fit here." Sakura gasped.

"How much time do we have to spend with this good-for-nothing?"

"Three months." Delighted Ino answered. "And then Tsunade will decide whether she wants to keep him or not. And he gets only half of the pay he had before, so he's like _really_ pissed off."

"Then why does he want to be here? Nobody likes him and it's not even profitable for him." The pink-haired woman wondered.

"I heard there's another situation with his brother. He's suing him or something. Plus, _nobody_ in the fashion business wants to work with him."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure, Kakashi hinted that he's indebted to everyone. Some designers even accuse him of stealing their clothes." Sakura looked at the blonde woman amazed. Naruto felt the need to cut in.

"Wait, what? Sasuke actually _stole_ something?!"

"It's not like stole-stole. He rather… you know, they gifted him and he sold it for some money."

"Then what do they want from him?"

"He promised them that he will show up in these clothes at least once, and he didn't. So it's like a broken deal or something..." Ino explained.

"It's a rather poor reason to not hire someone…" Sakura noticed.

"Well, I don't know _everything!_ The fact is that nobody wants to work with him, so when he ends his probation here, he's finished."

"Who's finished?" Asked someone. The voice was rather quiet and flat, but everyone heard it. The gossip and laughter stopped immediately. Naruto turned around slowly and his blue eyes met a pair of black ones. He tried to smile, but it must had been rather unconvincing.

"Hi, Sasuke."

Sasuke stood in the door not smiling. He looked as if he didn't care, which meant that he's rather pissed off. He also didn't reply to the greeting, but nobody blamed him since they didn't know how long he stood in there.

"I thought that you had to do something important." Sasuke chided the two women. Hinata eeked softly and, probably, went back to her studio, while Ino simply stood up and gave him an evil eye.

"_You're_ finished," she stated bluntly, and passed through the door. Sasuke stood there for a moment, completely dumbfounded. Naruto noticed that the man wasn't as dangerously thin as he remembered him to be, and felt relief. Nobody said anything, and the black-haired man left the room without even acknowledging that the two other people who were present in it were familiar to him in any way.

"What a dick!" Sakura choked. "I thought that he would at least greet us, but nooo, he acts as if he never knew us! I mean, we spent two years in this room and he's like… he even wasn't mean, he just ignored us…"

"Yeah," Naruto replied. Sasuke wasn't an easy topic for him. He felt that he should be angry at him for treating him in such a way, especially after everything they went through before. For Naruto, Sasuke wasn't just some colleague, but his best friend. Or used to be. Or so Naruto thought. After all, it turned out that there are many things that he didn't know about him. Still, he wasn't sure whether he likes what's happening to his former best friend. "Don't you think we are also acting like colossal dicks?"

"Do you actually believe that we should be _nice_ to him?"

"He used to be our friend. Hell, you even loved him"

"You're definitely using correct tense. 'Used to' and 'loved'. It's not here anymore, Naruto."

"Won't you feel guilty if anything happens to him?"

"_Don't _do this to me. Probably nothing bad will happen to him anyway. He'll just quarrel with Ino, and that's it."

"Hinata also won't talk to him. They won't make a good team."

"They _will_ talk to each other, they're not children."

"Yes, but the quality will drop. And they will send him on his way, so his life will be even more fucked up."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Naruto. What exactly do you want us to do? Do you expect that Ino will like him if I tell her to do so? It's impossible."

"He could… transfer here."

"And do you think that it will be better? He is a dick. He was a dick. And he will stay a dick."

"Well, but at least we care about his… perhaps not well-being, but we don't wish him bad."

"So you want us to suffer so he could have everything his own way? Without any effort?"

"No, I don't. I would prefer it if he came here, apologized to us, and asked us nicely if we would take him back. And then we would show him our pity, so he would be grateful, and then, perhaps, we would have normal relationship with him. But it's not going to happen."

Sakura looked at him from behind her screen. She stopped working for a moment. Naruto could see that she fought with herself.

"It's difficult, Naruto. You know that we will look like fools if we take him back after everything he did to us. And I'll feel like a fool."

"Me too. But I'd rather feel like a fool than look at him destroying his life once again. He won't make it without us, and I feel responsible."

"Fashion business isn't everything there is. He could do something else for a living."

"He could, but he won't because he's fucked up."

Sakura was silent for a moment, thinking about something intensively.

"And you think that Tsunade will simply agree to this?"

"Just ask Kakashi to ask her, and everything will be fine." Naruto said, smiling knowingly.

"And you really believe that our team's quality won't drop if we take him back?"

"We will manage."

"That means more work."

"So, what do you say?"

"I _hate_ you."

"I love you."

"He will be _your_ problem."

"Whatever you say, Princess."

* * *

><p>"How did your conversation with Kakashi go?" Naruto asked Sakura handing her a cup of coffee. Yesterday she promised that she will ask her partner about transferring Sasuke to their group.<p>

"Good morning to you too, Naruto," she said, unbuttoning her grey jacket. It was 9 a.m., and they just started work.

"Oh, come on."

"You _do_ realize that I'm practically prostituting myself for this bastard?"

"You would do this anyway." Sakura gave him a dirty look. "I mean that you would have sex with Kakashi. Not the prostituting part. You're a lady." The woman smiled.

"Perhaps, but he made me pay for his sandwich. You owe me six bucks."

"Obviously. So, what did he say?"

"That he will talk to Tsunade about this. Actually, he was shocked that we asked about this ourselves. He thought that we would be happy for not having to be anywhere near Sasuke."

"When will you know what she said?"

"This evening."

"Then you're meeting Kakashi again?" Sakura blushed slightly, evidently pleased with herself. The pair would usually see each other every three or four days.

"Yeah."

"Wow. Does that mean that you two are becoming more serious?"

"Perhaps. I would definitely want that." She admitted.

* * *

><p>Naruto looked at a fair arm lying next to him. He poked it slowly and it shrugged.<p>

"What do you want?"

"I have to get ready for work. Do you need a taxi?" Naruto asked the half-sleeping woman. She opened her eyes wider and shook her head. She was lying on her belly, so her back was fully visible. The quilt also didn't cover her magnificent ass, which was, sadly, considered too big by Neji, _Konoha_'s new main photographer. She got the job only because Naruto promised to correct the photos.

"No, I'm good. May I shower at your place?" She asked politely.

"No problem. Just don't take too long, I have to leave the apartment in an hour."

The woman went into bathroom, and Naruto reached for his cellphone. He noticed that he got some new e-mails and a text message. It was from Sakura, so he opened it quickly.

"Tsunade said that she wants Sasuke to stay where he is. Sorry." She wrote to him. He cursed under his breath and hit the reply button.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Naruto waited for her to answer for three whole minutes, but the phone didn't buzz. Resigned, he left the bed and did his morning share of crunches. He wasn't as thin as some of the models he saw everyday were, but he could be still considered slim. Perhaps even slightly muscular. He was decidedly too short, but average women would consider him handsome.

The woman he slept with left the bathroom and kissed him goodbye. Naruto remembered that he didn't get her phone number. It was a shame because the girl was quite nice and talking to her was fun.

* * *

><p>When he got into the office, he noticed, that it was full of hubbub. It was the last week before sending the new issue to the printing house, which meant that absolutely everything they did in the last month had to be corrected. People were walking fast and in a seemingly chaotic manner. Naruto went into his and Sakura's office, and started to alter the photos. Two hours later Sakura still didn't come to work, which was a little bit worrying. He called her, and she picked up her phone.<p>

"Yeah?" She asked in a sleepy voice. Naruto giggled. She must had overslept.

"You're two hours late."

"Wha-?"

"Two. Hours. Late. Come here or Tsunade will murder you."

"Fuck!"

"I'm waiting…" He said, but she must had heard only one part of this sentence because she hung up on him.

* * *

><p>Naruto decided to go to Neji's studio and show him the altered photos. His word wasn't final, but Tsunade usually agreed with him, so his approval was quite important. The blonde printed all of his creations and went upstairs.<p>

Neji's studio was full of people. Apparently they were going to have another photo shoot today. Two male models were posing while Rock Lee, Neji's protege, made test shots. Some other models were waiting for their turn only partially dressed, and Hinata stood in the doorway, holding a huge rack full of clothes and accessories. Naruto walked up to the photographer and showed him the pictures.

"Very nice, yes." He said without even looking at them.

"Is something wrong?" The graphic asked.

"We're one model short, and we were supposed to leave for outdoors shooting at least thirty minutes ago."

"You might always ask Sasuke for help, he stopped modeling only three months ago." Naruto proposed. He was determined to improve the quality of Sasuke's life here. Perhaps, if the photos were good, he could even return to being a model.

Neji, who was usually rather composed, shrugged his arms, giving an impression that he doesn't even care anymore.

"Well, Tsunade isn't here yet anyways, so I could give it a try." He turned towards Hinata and ordered her to bring Sasuke with her.

When the two came in, Naruto couldn't help noticing that the brunette didn't look very happy. Neji judged the man with his eyes,and he must have seen something that he liked because he told him to take off his clothes. Naruto wasn't shocked-his former best friend had good proportions and a pretty, somehow feminine face. If all models looked like that, he and Sakura wouldn't be needed.

"It's not a good idea." Said Sasuke, his voice slightly breaking.

"Stop whining, we can't wait for another model." The photographer complained.

Sasuke sighed and began to undress, starting with his long sleeve. In the last four years he made so many nudes that his body was a rather familiar sight for everyone present in the room.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. I can't work with this!" Neji shouted, seeing Sasuke's skin. There was one huge, dark grey stain that was covering half of the man's back and abdomen, and countless almost black spots on the rest of his body. Naruto didn't know what they were, but they didn't look nice. He glanced at Sasuke, whose eyes seemed dead at the moment.

"I can make it work." The blonde man whispered, not knowing why he said it. Other people were staring at the stained body, their faces shocked.

"We're not raising money for some charity, Naruto!" The photographer replied. He wasn't a delicate one. Usually he would reject at least three models a day, and then Naruto would see some of them crying. He would comfort them, ask them what Neji didn't like, and then, sometimes, help them. The photographer believed that model's body should be perfect and was against any major alterations, but there were times, when he could be convinced to change his mind. Actually, this was the way Naruto got all of his girlfriends.

"I told you it was a bad idea." Sasuke reminded, composing himself. He stood there, hugging himself, looking as if he was cold. Naruto remembered that the brunette used to dress differently back in the days. He was almost always wearing a dark colored v-neck, which would show a lot of his perfectly white skin, but now he was covering himself. He must had been feeling disgusting.

"It's not a bad idea. I will make it work." Naruto said, looking more at the model than at the photographer. "You will be dressed anyway, and I can… clear… all of this." The last part sounded bad.

"It's not just a big ass, it's some fucking skin condition and it looks contagious."

Naruto felt that in this very moment he hated Neji with all his heart.

"It's not contagious." Sasuke whispered, and the blonde seemed to be the only one that had heard him. Naruto walked towards him and put his hand on the taller man's arm. He shrugged, and stared at the blonde with hateful eyes. "I don't need your pity." He hissed, starting to dress up again. "I'm finished anyways, am I not?" He asked and left the room without waiting for an answer.

"You're a dick." Naruto told Neji, who was so used to it that he wasn't even angry at him for saying that.

Naruto went after Sasuke, who marched quickly towards his and the girls' studio. The blonde grabbed brunette's arm, making him stop.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked aggressively, removing his arm from the other man's hand.

"Can't we just talk?"

"Why? So you can gossip some more?" The dark-haired man turned towards the shorter one, his expression angry, and, perhaps, hurt.

"No. I want to help you."

"I don't need your help."

"If you didn't need my help, you wouldn't look so hopeless." Naruto noticed, grabbing man's arm and leading him into one of the empty breakrooms, so they wouldn't need to talk in the corridor.

"You don't _want_ to help me. And I don't need your pity."

"My pity isn't the worst thing that can happen to you. And I actually _do_ want to help you, so stop with all of this drama and talk to me normally."

Sasuke eyed Naruto. He hugged himself again and hanged his head, evidently ashamed.

"Stop with this fake friendliness. I'll be good on my own, so you don't need to feel guilty about my failures."

Naruto gulped quietly. Sasuke was right about what was his and Sakura's inspiration to do something. Guilt.

"I'm not feeling guilty." He lied. "I actually missed you. You're my best friend." Another lie. Sasuke watched him closely. It was quite clear that he didn't believe in anything he had just heard. "Sakura and I actually wanted Tsunade to transfer you to our group. And we're still trying to make it happen." The brunette didn't say a word, and was looking at the floor. "We don't need to talk right now, but I just wanted you to know that you're not alone in here. And that we can talk whenever you like. Truth be told, Sakura is still angry at you, but if you apologized to her, she would... well, she would pretend that she won't forgive you, but if you waited a week, she would eventually forget about everything." Sasuke smiled ugly.

"We're not friends. You're pathetic." Naruto's eyes watered unnoticeably. Sasuke had said it before, just before he left. Nothing has changed. He was the same douchebag he was before. The brunette must had noticed that he hurt the blonde, because his smile grew wider. "And I don't want to talk to you. Never."


	2. Coming Back

When Sakura finally came to work, Naruto didn't feel like sharing the news about his conversation with Sasuke and brunette's weird skin condition, but he had to. Otherwise she might act friendly in front of that douche, and he would be a dick, and it might result in a murder. When he referred everything to her, she looked at him with her eyes wide open.

"You're shitting me." She whispered. For the last ten minutes she was just listening to him, still sitting with her jacket on, and not working. Naruto shook his head. Sakura whined. "But... but I just managed to get this freaking transfer possible."

"What?!"

"I thought you will be happy! Fuck. We can't even do anything about it now."

"What do you mean 'we can't do anything about it'?! You wrote me that Tsunade didn't agree for the transfer!" Naruto stared at her terrified. This was _bad_.

"Because she didn't, but I told Kakashi that I _really_ wanted this to happen, and this morning he made a deal with Tsunade. I can't even tell him that this just fucks everything up, because he'll get angry at me. And I wouldn't even blame him. Fuckity fuck fuck. We're _doomed_."

"What deal?"

"I don't know but he told me to celebrate this because normally he wouldn't even care about such a silly matter. And that he doesn't care if it works out or not."

"Oh my god." Naruto murmured. "I'm _so_ sorry. This was my idea. Let's not listen to me anymore."

"Don't beat yourself up about this. We'll manage, won't we? And it will last only three months." Sakura quavered. She didn't believe in this either. They both sat in silence for a while. "Well, he comes here tomorrow, so some technicians should be here any second to set up his working space. Maybe we can persuade them to put his desk on the balcony."

* * *

><p>Shino, the technician, was completely immune to persuasion. He was in charge of keeping <em>Konoha<em>'s electronics working, so he was not amused when he was told to put another computer in the photoshoppers' room. He used it for gaming, so he would give death glares to Sakura and Naruto throughout his visit. When he left the room, the duo felt a little bit better. Then the woman clasped her hands, remembering something.

"You said there was something wrong with his skin?" She inquired, wanting more information.

"Yup, it was covered in stains. And that trashy tattoo Ino was talking about? That's one of them."

"What do you mean 'covered'?"

"There's this huge one, covering like the left half of his back and some of his stomach, and some smaller ones. Plus a lot of dots. It's not a pretty sight, but it's not repulsive."

"So he's sick or something?"

"He said it's not contagious. At first I thought that it might be skin cancer or AIDS, but I googled it—by the way—don't do it, and it's not it. It rather looks like... scars?"

"As if he was burned?" She sounded a little bit worried.

"I don't know, they're almost black. And flat. I don't know what it might be."

"I noticed that he was dressing differently, but I would never guess that it's because of something like _this._"

"This probably explains why he's not modeling anymore." Naruto felt guilty about what happened in Neji's studio. After all, he was the one, who suggested Sasuke as a replacement model.

"But if it's not contagious, then what's everyone's problem with hiring him?" Sakura wondered, looking worried.

"I don't know. And I doubt that he will tell us."

* * *

><p>Around 9 p.m., when Naruto was heading home together with Sakura, Kiba approached them.<p>

"I heard the Gay Prince has started to rot on the outside, too." He said jokingly, but the duo didn't laugh. "Don't be so stiff, he's not dying or anything. I think."

"We are not in the mood." Sakura explained.

"Does everybody know?" Naruto asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"You bet! Hinata told Ino, and it went global." Kiba laughed. The woman cursed under her nose.

"Great, now he's going to be even bigger pain in the ass. Sorry, but we have to go."

When they left the office, they went to the parking lot, where they stood in silence, not moving.

"I'm feeling bad for him." Sakura admitted. "And I don't think that I should. He was right, we _are_ pathetic."

"And yet he's the one called the 'Gay Prince'." Naruto tried to provoke a giggle, but failed miserably. "I know what you mean." He added quickly. "Wanna come to my place and have a beer or something? We can think about some strategies on how to survive the oncoming months ."

"I think that this calls for a vodka."

"All right, then." He smiled. "Be my guest."

* * *

><p>Naruto's apartment wasn't big, it consisted of a small bathroom, small bedroom, and a kitchen and a living room combo. He didn't have too many things, so even though he didn't have time to clean it systematically, it wasn't cluttered. Bathroom was white and boring—there was only a toilet, a shower, a sink, and a mirror. Bedroom was painted in light green and the majority of dark wooden floor was taken by big bed. Kitchen consisted only of a refrigerator, two counters, and a stove. The rest of the room had a table with only two seats, and a sofa. It wasn't much, but Naruto didn't need anything more. He didn't like living alone, and since he spent more than a half of his life in orphanages, even such a small flat seemed huge to him.<p>

On their way here they stopped at shop, where they bought the vodka and an orange juice. Naruto invited Sakura to take a seat and opened a wall cabinet looking for glasses.

"You still have the picture!" The woman shouted with delight. The photo was made on their first day of work and showed all three of the previous team with Kakashi as their supervisor.

"Oh yeah, I found it yesterday." Naruto answered. He didn't tell her that he looked for it for two hours.

"That's so sweet."

"It's depressing."

"Oh, come on, why would you say that?" Sakura asked, recovering after the first shot.

"You hated me back then."

"I wasn't even twenty years old. And I hated you only a little bit. It was frustrating to see that you would get the same internship I did. You were making _so_ many mistakes in the beginning."

"I dreamed of this job, but I might have sucked in it." Naruto admitted, pouring another glass of vodka. "But I guess that the fact that I was raised in an orphanage helped me get it, so you may feel excused."

"For us!" Sakura toasted, and Naruto tapped her glass with his own.

"Back in the days I hated the damn bastard. I was smarter before than I'm now."

"Do you really regret it?"

"Maybe... He _was_ my first friend, but this whole friendship thing... it was rather devastating."

"Do you think that he's really gay?" She asked him, losing her previous train of toughts.

"What does it change?"

"It would explain why he never wanted any of this!" She pointed to her breasts. "But no, really. Is he gay?"

"Why would I know?"

"If I was him, I would try to get into your pants." She mumbled and drank another glass.

"Why didn't you then? You had your fair share of chances." He noticed jokingly, trying to change subject.

Actually, there was this one time that could be described as 'Sasuke trying to get into Naruto's pants', but he didn't want to share this story with anybody. It was 4,5 years ago, when they went to some party and Sasuke got so drunk that Naruto had to take him to his home. He almost had to carry him over the threshold. Then Sasuke made him sleep in the same bed. It was much easier to comply with his wishes than to explain to some of the older neighbors why someone was screaming at 4 a.m. When Naruto woke up one hour later, he noticed, that he is being spooned by Sasuke. He felt breath on his neck, a hand on his hip, and a bulging erection pressing against one of his buttocks. He decided to try to gently escape from his friend's embrace and avoid embarrassment, but then Sasuke woke up and wasn't embarrassed at all. He pulled him closer, shamelessly sticking his penis between Naruto's thighs. The blonde felt strangely excited. Up to that day he was sure that he was 100% straight, but right now he actually wanted to face Sasuke and fuck him. He reached for the man's hand, which was lying on his hip, and pushed it towards his own erection. The hand embraced his penis tightly and began to jerk him off. He turned on his other side, now facing Sasuke, whose eyes were still closed. He caressed his sides, and the man gazed at him smiling. 'Tomorrow,' he whispered. Naruto agreed, and they went back to sleep. But tomorrow never came because the blonde started to feel a weird need to avoid Sasuke at all cost, and, when it couldn't be done, he would talk only about women he wished he had sex with. A few months later Sasuke was gone.

Naruto twitched, looking at Sakura, who apparently just replied to his question. He laughed, hoping that it was an acceptable answer, and noticed that he has an erection. It wasn't the first time that thinking about that situation aroused him, but he still felt bad about it.

Naruto and Sakura talked and laughed, and eventually they decided that the woman will stay for the night. Naruto gave her his bed, and prepared himself the sofa. When he covered himself with blankets, he realized that he never talked to Sasuke about that 'gay episode,' like he liked to call it. He smiled drunkenly and reached for his cellphone.

"re,ember that time we almost fucmed?" He wrote, and looked for Sasuke's number in his phone directory. Luckily, it wasn't there.

* * *

><p>Sasuke woke up and turned the alarm off. He changed his position, still feeling sleepy, and wished he could ditch work for today. He sighed heavily and stood up. Today was going to be his third day of working in <em>Konoha<em>, and up to this day everything was such a disaster that it seemed absurd. On the first day he learned that nobody wanted him there, and on the second day everyone learned about his scars. And he quarrelled with Naruto. And today he was going to work with him and Sakura. As if his life wasn't already fucked up.

He went into his bathroom, avoiding the room in which both of his parents died. Sasuke hated this house, but he didn't want to sell it. And now it was the only place he could afford. He cursed under his breath, taking off his tank top and boxers. The mirror over the sink was shattered, but he could still see himself in all the little glass fragments. He hated his older brother with all his heart. Itachi ruined everyone's lives, including his own. When the lukewarm water hit Sasuke's body, he hissed with pain. The scars were already three months old, but they weren't fully healed yet. The doctors said that he should consider himself lucky because acidic burns are usually much more protruding, and generally look much worse. His skin was only darker in some of the parts. It still looked quite revolting, though. The good thing was that police finally caught Itachi, and that he spends his days in an asylum. Sometimes during the night Sasuke would wake up screaming, dreaming about Itachi running away and coming to kill him. He always checked all the locks in his home, and never left an open window unattended.

The last conversation with Naruto distressed him. The guy was so insolent! It's not like Sasuke was the first one to start acting like a douche. The blonde avoided him for six months before he started working for Orochimaru, and this was a really rough time for him. Itachi began to stalk Sasuke and demand his part of the inheritance even though there was virtually none; he even blackmailed him, claiming that he had a proof that the pills their parents took to end their lives actually belonged to him, and, what's more, he was the one, who put them into their wine. He was also the one, who put anti-vomit pills in there. Unfortunately, all of this was true. The only twist was that the wine also belonged to Sasuke, but he chickened out, and kept the bottle 'just in case.' He hated himself strongly enough and didn't need the whole world to hate him even more. And despite all of that Naruto, his self-proclaimed best friend, decided that he doesn't want to see him anymore. He would reject all of his invitations, and wouldn't talk to him when they were working. And whenever Sasuke was able to corner him and make him talk to him, he would just go on talking about boobs and vaginas. Naruto was completely immune to sentences such as "I have a serious problem, and need someone to talk to," and would always respond with "Just count me out and solve it yourself. You have my complete support, but I don't want to talk about it."

Sasuke never thought that someone could be _this_ insensitive. Finally, he decided to just run away from his old job, and went to _Oto_. That's when Naruto reminded himself about his ex-friend. Even maintaining a normal friendship with him was difficult-Sasuke wasn't especially trusting, and, what was even worse, he discovered that he fell in love with the blonde idiot. He hid it because he noticed that Naruto was so straight that even touching his own penis must had been a problem to him. Sasuke was positive that he didn't feel anything towards Naruto for the past few years, but when he saw him again two days ago, he felt his heart leap. He was guessing that even his subconsciousness hated him and wanted him to suffer. And now he is going to be near him at least eight hours a day. Great.

When he washed himself up, he took his navy blue blouse with long sleeves and a crewneck. Luckily, it was almost the end of the October, so he didn't look weird dressed like this. He smiled to himself when he walked into his old office. Four years ago the whole magazine consisted of just a few rooms, but now whole building was its property. The office itself didn't change a lot-it looked much cleaner and nicer, but it still looked familiar-three desks with computers, three chairs, one huge window that couldn't be opened and a coffee machine. This one was new-the previous belonged to Sasuke. He wondered what happened to it. He was also anxious about the other two coming to work. He came in earlier than he should, and tried to guess which desk was to be his. It wasn't very difficult-he easily recognized the one belonging to Sakura for it was cluttered with all kinds of kitschy pop art figurines, the other two looked quite similar, and the brunette probably wouldn't be able to guess right if it wasn't for a cheap ramen noodles package tucked under the keyboard. He was actually amazed at how Naruto could eat this crap and look the way he did. He smiled under his nose. This office brought back many pleasant memories. It was a shame that this time it will be just a source of things he would rather not have to deal with.

Naruto woke up to the sound of throwing up. He learned to not mind it, but when he had heard Sakura hungover for the first time, he thought that for some reason Hollywood decided to make _the Exorcist _remake in his apartment. God, that girl wasn't able to do it quietly. He hoped that Kakashi will experience that when it's too late for him to back out, or else her relationship is screwed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, and she ordered him to go fuck himself. She didn't mind the fact that he brought her water though. "I need to shower," he said, and she whined hugging the toilet. "I'll just give you a bucket," he proposed, but she declined it. Naruto sighed and started undressing himself. Normally, if he was to undress in front of Sakura kneeling in front of him, he would probably be more excited, but her teary eyes were an enough turn-off for him. Not mentioning the fact that she just vomited.

"You look nice," she noticed, her voice shaking.

"Kakashi wouldn't want you to look at other men's penises," he reminded her. "Shoo, Sakura. You can lie dying somewhere else."

"I see a thousand dicks every week," she hyperbolized. "And I make them prettier. But your's fine." Naruto blushed hearing the compliment, and got into the shower. Steam covered the glassy walls, and, when he was finished, he saw that Sakura had already left. He wasn't feeling as bad as she was, but if didn't have to go to work today, he would be still sleeping. His head was pounding slightly and he could hear the blood rushing through his ears. It was going to be a long day, especially considering the fact that they will have to sit through it with Sasuke. And they will have to also improve all of Neji's photos.

When he left the bathroom, he noticed Sakura lying on his couch all curled up and suffering. He felt bad for her, so he made her a breakfast consisting of a piece of dry toast and an isotonic drink. Then he left her with the keys to his home, knowing that today she will be late again.

* * *

><p>Naruto gathered all his courage and entered his office, where Sasuke already was. He felt rather embarrassed, remembering their last day's talk, but decided to act as if everything was allright.<p>

"Good morning, Sasuke," he said, putting his bag on the desk. The other man looked at him, evidently blushed. _"Oh crap, did I send that text yesterday?!"_ Naruto thought panicking. He reached for his cellphone, trying to make it look normally, but his arms were shaking. He found the said text message in the drafts folder, but his outbox was clean. Good, everything was fine. His cock twitched at the memory of Sasuke's fingers touching it, and Naruto was really grateful about the fact that the brunette wasn't paying any attention to him, because otherwise he could probably notice a very obvious bulge.

"Good morning," the man finally answered, turning his head towards the blonde, who quickly sat down, putting his bag on his lap. "I heard that we are supposed to photoshop Neji's pictures. Where are they?", he asked, acting so 'we-are-just-normal-coworkers' kind of way that it was actually weird.

"Oh, they're here," Naruto replied, standing up and handing a pendrive to the other man. Then he remembered about his erection. He quickly returned to his chair but judging from Sasuke's face, he had seen it. An uncomfortable silence lasted for five minutes during which the brunette copied all of the pictures into his hard drive. The blonde hated his body. That _episode_ wasn't even the sexiest thing he had ever witnessed. He had sex almost every week, and that was a lot, considering that he didn't have a girlfriend. Plus it's not like he's attracted to other men. Sai, who liked to call himself "a big fat fag" even though some of the female models were envious of his figure, made propositions about fucking Naruto at least twice a week. And once he even send him a dick pic, which was just plain workplace harassment. The fact that the penis was adorned with numerous hearts and a cool pair of pink glasses from one of these photo apps didn't help. The blonde couldn't help but laugh. He didn't delete that photo, it was ridiculously silly.

"So, we're just doing photos?" Sasuke finally asked. Naruto knew what he meant. Back in the days they were responsible for all graphic design.

"Yeah, Kakashi and his team are doing the rest," he answered. Sai was actually a part of that team, and from what the blonde knew, he could be even promoted to the head of graphic department. Tsunade was always claiming that she's retiring the next years, which would mean that Kakashi was going to replace her, and, well, Sai was the perfect candidate for his position. He could be artsy if he wanted to. "If you need any help, just ask me," Naruto added, hoping that it will establish that he wasn't angry about yesterday. Sasuke mumbled a quick "Thanks," and they started to work on the photos.

The blonde thought that this could be depressing for the brunette-working on something that could have been pictures of him, so he glanced at him quickly. Sasuke was actually looking quite relaxed. He smiled under his nose. Everything was going better than expected.

Two hours later Sakura showed up, still looking like shit. Naruto welcomed her with a hug, and Sasuke even said his own "Good day." The pink-haired woman looked at him shocked, and responded with the usual "Hi." Then she sat at her desk staring mindlessly into the screen. The blonde handed her a bottle of water. He bought it on his way here and knew that she will be grateful.

The day was passing rather peacefully, which was more than anyone was hoping for. Then a phone rang, making Sakura squint her eyes, and the other two jump. It was Sasuke's; he picked it up, and left the room for fifteen minutes. When he came back, he looked as if something heavy landed on him.

"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked casually.

"No," the brunette answered but he might had as well say that it wasn't the blonde's business, because Sasuke didn't look too good. He packed his things even though it wasn't the end of the day. Naruto looked at him with suspicion, but he pretended that he didn't notice it. The brunette left the room, and the blonde followed. He thought that something must had been seriously wrong. Sasuke looked over his shoulder, but said nothing and just grew sadder and angrier. When they reached the lobby, Naruto saw two police officers. He gasped with shock. Kakashi was also there, talking to one of the officers, obviously irritated. The blonde wasn't sure whether he saw his former supervisor this agitated ever before.

"You'll have to come with us," one of the police said addressing Sasuke. The brunette shrugged his arms and Naruto was sure that it was something not important. Then the other police officer started to recite the Miranda rights to his ex-friend. The lobby was becoming crowded with people. It wasn't the first time something like this happened-two or three times the police arrested some models, but it was this time it was one of _Konoha_'s full time employees. Sasuke left the building, and got into the police car, which drove away. People got bored and went to their respective rooms, and Naruto caught up with Kakashi, who marched angrily towards Tsunade's office.

"What happened?" the blonde asked. The grey-haired man looked at him, cursing under his breath.

"Why the fuck should I know?" he replied with a question.

"Where are they taking him?"

"To the police station, dumbfuck," Kakashi muttered. That was weird. Their former supervisor was never mean towards his proteges.

"But why?" The blonde didn't give up easily. Finally, Kakashi stopped.

"Itachi claims that Sasuke killed his parents."

Naruto's world swirled wildly, leaving him with a heavy stomach and a loudly beating heart. "_WHAT_,_" _he thought. Sasuke would never do something this horrible. It was impossible. He ran to his office, grabbed his bag and told Sakura that he's leaving because Sasuke got arrested. The woman tried to follow him, but he was much faster, especially since she didn't recover from the hangover yet.

Ten minutes later Naruto was at the nearest police station, thanking God that he wasn't pulled over for speeding. He stormed through the door.

"Where is Sasuke?" He shouted, and some officers eyed him suspiciously.

"How can we help you, sir?" A female officer asked him nicely, trying to soothe him.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Where is he?!" Naruto inquired, not even knowing what his plan was.

"Are you his family?" The woman asked, and the blonde could swear to God that she must had been the most stupid human being on the whole planet. He tried to go further and look for the brunette all by himself. His phone didn't stop ringing, but Naruto knew that it was just Sakura. He promised to himself that he will apologize to her. Two male officers stopped him on his way.

"You're not allowed to go there, sir."

"When is he leaving?" The blonde asked, but nobody wanted to answer him.

"Are you his family?" The woman repeated the question, and Naruto thought that Sasuke must had been there. He wanted to lie and say that he's his close cousin or something, but it would probably make everything more complicated in the future.

"I'm his friend. Please, let me see him."

"He's being interrogated at the moment. You can wait here, but please remain calm."

Naruto felt that he might had misjudged the woman. She wasn't so bad. He decided to wait, and after five minutes of fidgeting in his chair, when he still wasn't able to see Sasuke, he thought that he might as well call Sakura.

"Hello," he said sheepishly.

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY." She yelled at him, and it wasn't even a question.

"Sakura, I'm so so-," he started, but she didn't let him finish.

"I'M GOING TO RIP YOU APART."

"It's just that-"

"AND YOUR CORPSE WILL BE IN SUCH A BAD SHAPE THAT NOBODY WILL EVEN THINK THAT IT USED TO BE HUMAN."

"Please, just le-"

"I'M WORRIED SICK, YOU FUCKING BASTARD."

Naruto was afraid to say anything, so he waited for her to finish her rant. Unexpectedly, he heard quiet sobs at the other end of the line.

"Sakura, I'm so sorry," he started, and when she didn't interrupt him, he continued. "It's just that Sasuke got arrested out of blue, and I had to come here."

"And what do you plan to do? It's not a freaking _Prison Break_."

"Well…" Naruto stopped. _"Wait, what AM I going to do?" _he thought. It's not like he can do anything. And his presence in here isn't even needed. And he will have problems for leaving his work like that.

"You may speak with him," the nice police woman told him, and the blonde was grateful because he didn't have to think of anything smart to say.

"I'm needed," he lied to Sakura and hung up on her. "Where should I go?" he asked the woman.

"You'll have to write yourself in, though."

"No problem," he answered. When he gave his full name, address and other essential data to the woman, he was finally lead into the custody. On his way there he wondered why did he even come here, and what did he want to say. Finally, he saw Sasuke sitting in a pretty normal room in his clothes. It made him feel better, because he believed that the man will be already wearing stripes and behind the bars. The brunette looked at him in a weird way but didn't say anything. The woman left, and the blonde thought that this all was really awkward. Both men looked at each other in silence, and Sasuke must had got bored of it because he finally spoke.

"Did they already fire me?" he asked.

"No… I mean… I don't know, but I doubt it." Naruto answered, too ashamed to admit that he stormed out of the office right after the police took Sasuke away. He blushed heavily, and the brunette had a puzzled expression on his face.

"Then why are you here? Do they want something from me or what?" His voice was numb, and his eyes were slightly red. The blonde felt the need to soothe him somehow, but he didn't even know how was he going to do it.

"When are you leaving?" He asked instead, ignoring the previous two questions.

"I don't know. Probably tomorrow evening. They didn't charge me with anything, so they can't keep me in here forever."

"Then why not sooner?"

Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment, evidently fighting with himself. Eventually he spoke again, looking as if he lost the battle.

"They want to search my house, and don't want me to hide anything or contact with anyone."

"You're contacting me right now," Naruto noticed.

"Yes, but they're here." Sasuke pointed to a policeman sitting in the room nearby with his doors opened.

"Why are you here?" The blonde finally asked. The brunette hugged himself and his eyes started to water. Naruto noticed that the other man was handcuffed. He patted him on the shoulder, feeling incredibly stupid and awkward. If it was Sakura, he would hug her, but touching other man was weird.

"Go away, Naruto," Sasuke practically begged. He must had been close to crying. Naruto actually _wanted_ to run away, but he would never forgive himself for that. That's why he stood up, feeling observed by the police officer, and embraced the other man inexpertly, barely touching him. The body he was holding stiffened, and he pulled it closer. "Just leave me alone, please," the brunette whispered with broken voice right into his left ear. The blonde didn't listen and kept on hugging the other male, who started to shake.

"I'm not going to leave you alone," he promised. He felt that his collar started to get wet and heard the man sob uncontrollably. Naruto never saw Sasuke crying, and the experience was heartbreaking. "Everything will be alright, you'll see," he assured the taller man, hoping that it wasn't a lie.


	3. Tomorrow

Sasuke wished he had some dignity left, but its last portion disappeared when he became unable to utter even a single word. The sounds that were escaping his throat were similar to those made by a drowning man. He was gasping for air, and wasn't able to weep quietly. He didn't even dream about having his pride intact by not crying-everything that happened to him was simply too much to take for a single person. To think that after everything he went through he was to be a suspect in his parents murder case was just surreal. Especially when it was Itachi, the man, who ruined his life, the man from whom he thought that he finally escaped by having him locked away in some asylum.

The Uchiha wasn't sure whether the case against him would hold. He didn't kill Mikoto and Fugaku, it was all just an unhappy accident. He thought that he hid the bottle well, but when he came home that night it was on a kitchen counter. Nobody knew that the wine belonged to him-nobody but Itachi, who must had learned about it in some shadowy way. Sasuke admitted that the sauvignon was his-there was no point in denying that. He also said that he was the one, who spiced it up with sleeping and anti-vomit pills, adding that it was for him, and even giving the police the phone number to his former psychologist, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The psychologist knew why Sasuke wanted to kill himself, and, perhaps, would be even able to point to the fact that he never planned on killing his family. The man was a really kind soul, maybe even too kind. He was also the one, who claimed that 'coming out' was a great idea, even when the family's finances started to crumble. Sasuke's parents didn't take it very well, especially Fugaku, who stated that he preferred the prodigal son to the queer one. That hurt. And that's probably why the brunette never told about his sexuality to anyone else.

Sasuke was grateful for being handcuffed-that way he couldn't hug Naruto, so he was just grabbing his t-shirt, ruining it by stretching it with his long fingers. He still wasn't sure why the blonde even was here, but it was somehow better to be seen like this than being all alone. The other man's skin was tanned as always and smelled of sandal tree. It was soft, but the muscles it was covering were hard. The mixture of strength and gentleness was soothing. Sasuke felt that from all this crying his nose started to get stuffed, but he was almost immediately provided with a crumpled handkerchief. He took it with gratitude, and blew his nose in a not ladylike manner.

"Sasuke, look, I don't really know what you're going through right now, but I know that everything's gonna turn out ok. I'll help you in any way possible, and you don't need to worry about today-if you'll ever want to, we can discuss it, but I'm not going to bring this up by myself, so you can relax. Perhaps we parted our ways these four years ago, but I know you well enough to know that you're not overreacting. And please, don't you ever think that I'm doing you a favor, because I'm merely returning it. You're my first real friend, and I learned so much because of you that it practically allowed me to be where I'm right now, and my life right now is infinitely better than what it was before I met you," Naruto said quietly, still patting the brunette's back. These words made Sasuke feel a little bit better, but they also made him cry even harder. He wasn't sure whether he deserved to be treated in such a way by someone who he had called a total loser so many times in the last few years that he lost his count.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled and hoped that the blonde will know what he was apologizing for.

"Don't worry about it. Everything's fine. Now let's worry about you," Naruto proposed when he heard that the brunette calmed down. "Do you have a lawyer?"

"No."

"Then I'll get you one. Just wait a minute… Here, I've got him," he said, and Sasuke felt that he was doing something with his hands. The brunette wondered whether he should leave the refuge of Naruto's arms, but he realized that he would look even less dignified-his face was red and stinging, his eyes were still wet, and he didn't even want to think how his nose must had look like. "Hi, Shikamaru," the blonde greeted one of his and Sasuke's acquaintances. "I want you to do something… Yes, I do realize that's troublesome… Come on, man, don't pull that ass move on me… Well, you owe me this one anyways… I want you to be Sasuke's lawyer… Yes, Uchiha Sasuke… I know… I don't think that it will take you this long… Ok … So, when will you be here? … I'll send you an address... Great, thanks."

"I'm not sure whether I need a lawyer," the brunette remarked.

"Well, I also hope that you don't but it won't hurt. Shikamaru will be here in about two hours, and from what I heard, he's insanely good… Wait, my phone's ringing," Naruto said in an apologetic tone. "Hi, Sakura… Yes, I'm with him right now… Oh really? That's so nice of him!... I'm _not_ sucking his cock… Tell him to get lost… I'll buy him a lunch, ok?... Just smack him or something… I don't know when will I get back. Is Kakashi mad?... Ok, thanks. I will. You're great. And Sai's great too even though he's such a dick… Yeah, bye."

"Who's Sai?" Sasuke asked, quite shocked about the conversation. For a moment he even forgot about his own problems.

"Right, you don't know him! He came to work with us after you left. He's really good, but he's a total douche."

"You don't like him?" the brunette inquired, hoping that the answer will be positive.

"No, he's fine, really. He simply has extremely bad manners. And I think that he's sexually harassing me," the blonde laughed merrily, and Sasuke felt as if a needle went through his heart. '_Is Naruto gay?'_ he wondered, thinking that if it was to be true, then he wasted a serious part of his life. "He can be thoughtful, though. Like today he's doing overtime because he helps Sakura with retouching the photos. And that's a bliss, I didn't even think about the fact that they need to be done by tomorrow morning, so I basically fucked up, and he's covering for me. I'm really grateful."

"Oh. So, uhm…" the brunette stuttered, wanting to ask if the blonde was to suck Sai's cock after all but a sudden shyness overpowered him.

"Well, anyway!" Naruto shouted, completely unaware of how weird and thought-provoking his last phone conversation was. "Shikamaru will be here in two hours, and I kind of need to get back to work or else they're not going to make it, so I'll leave you for today, but tomorrow I'll come get you when you'll be able to leave… this place. Just call me, alright?"

"... I will," Sasuke promised, straightening up in his chair and finally showing his face to the world. Tears had already dried off, but it was still pretty much swollen. The blue eyes looked at him with concern, so he forced a little smile. The blonde was so close to him, that he could even count the fibers in his beautiful irises.

"I would stay with you longer, but I really need to go. See you tomorrow, Sasuke," Naruto said, blushing slightly when the word "tomorrow" escaped his lips.

"Tomorrow," the brunette repeated, noticing that the blonde looked at him somehow panicked. He didn't know what was wrong with the word. Perhaps Naruto planned something for that day. "If you really want to, of course," he added, thinking that he could always get a taxi or something. The blonde seemed to be even more terrified. He fought with himself, and, eventually, walked through the doors with a faint smile on his lips.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru appeared three hours later, dressed in a smart suit which didn't suit him at all. Then he got mad because of all the things that Sasuke already revealed to the police, and instructed him on not saying a word when he's not around. The local police officers must had known Shikamaru because they all greeted him with smiles, and Sasuke even heard one asking the lawyer whether he's still pussy whipped.<p>

After receiving the reprimand, Sasuke learned that not all is lost, and that _normally_ Shikamaru wouldn't take this case because he's way too busy for something this trivial, and that he's doing this only because Naruto asked him to. Then he left the room with a dumbfounded Sasuke still in it.

The next day around 5 p.m. a police officer came to the brunette who was napping and told him that he can go home. Sasuke left the room, and waited to get his personal stuff back when he realized that even if would want to call Naruto, he didn't have his number. He smirked, feeling much better than he did the day before. When he walked out from the police station, he saw a rather old orange toyota. He knew that car.

"How did you know I'm leaving?" he asked Naruto, who smiled at him knowingly.

"Maria phoned me," he answered. "The police officer. By everything that's saint, you could have at least learned your captivators' names," he clarified, seeing that Sasuke didn't know any Marias. "Get in the car."

* * *

><p>Naruto looked at the man sitting on the passenger's seat, who appeared to be completely uninterested in what was happening. The blonde smiled to himself, knowing that Sasuke was always like that whenever he was pleased with the situation. He felt as if the last four years didn't matter anymore.<p>

"Where do you live now? Oh, and by the way-give me your number, today was the second time I needed it," Naruto said.

"In the same place I used to live before," the brunette answered staring at the other male. He dictated his phone number still looking confused, and Naruto finally started the engine. He knew where Sasuke's house was. The neighborhood was quite nice-every family had their own garden, and it was considered perfectly safe. As he drove there, he noticed that even though all the neighboring houses were still classy as fuck, the Uchiha residence deteriorated considerably. The lawn wasn't overgrown, and the windows weren't dirty, but it still looked neglected. Naruto recalled the small parties he and his friends would have there, and he remembered that he was always astonished by how luxurious the house was. When they got closer, the blonde noticed that something wasn't right.

"Duck!," he ordered Sasuke and swiftly turned into one of perpendicular streets. He stopped the car and quickly glanced at the brunette, who actually ducked.

"What the fuck?" the Uchiha asked, his face red because he did something so stupid.

"I think that there are some people in front of your house."

"What?"

"Yup, there's at least six of them. We can go to my place if you want."

Sasuke looked attentively at the blonde, and then quickly glanced at his frontyard.

"They're just paparazzi," he answered, but didn't seem to be too happy about it.

"Let's just go to my place. We can always come back later," Naruto proposed. He didn't want to see his first friend's face all over the rags with huge headlines screaming 'murderer.'

"Shouldn't you go back to work?"

"Sai can be a real sweetheart if he wants to, you know," the blonde chirped with a wide smile. He caught a short glimpse of anger on the other male's face. "And all photos are already retouched, so _Konoha_ doesn't need whole team. Sakura could probably manage on her own and she would still get bored by the end of the day."

"..."

"What's the matter?"

"...why do you care?" Sasuke asked in a broken voice. The black eyes got foggy.

"Because you are my friend," Naruto answered in an unusually serious tone. He decided to start the car and get out of this district. Paparazzis already noticed the orange car, and some of them even started to walk in its direction.

"..."

"I mean it, Sasuke. You can deny it all you want, but we _are_ friends. Even if we weren't ones for four years."

"...four and a half," the brunette corrected the blonde.

"What do you mean four and a half? You joined _Oto_ four years ago."

"But you stopped talking to me four and a half years ago." Naruto looked at Sasuke, who was dead serious. Now that he was thinking about it, it could be seen in such a way by his friend. They were still exchanging words, but they weren't _talking_. The blonde didn't want to. Naruto cursed his former self for being a prick.

"I'm sorry, I was just really confused."

"...about what?"

"About the 'tomorrow thing,' okay? It was immature and stupid, and I could've just told you that I didn't know how I felt about this, and that I wanted you to wait, but I was too embarrassed to do so."

"What's the 'tomorrow thing?'" Black eyes stared at Naruto with question.

"...you really don't know?" The blonde asked sheepishly, realizing how awful it must had looked like if the other man didn't have a clue what could had caused him to avoid Sasuke.

"No, I don't."

"We'll talk in my apartment. This will probably be a longer conversation. And I'll need to be intoxicated or else I won't be able to look you in the eye."

Sasuke didn't disagree, so they spent rest of the journey in silence. When they reached their destination, they still kept their conversation to a minimum allowing them to go the store, buy vodka, and to enter the apartment.

"Sorry about the mess. Sakura was here the day before yesterday, and I still didn't have the time to clean it up."

"That's not important."

"Well, yeah… let me just find some glasses, and I will tell you everything."

"Fine."

Naruto approached the wall cabinet with shaky arms. He really didn't want to talk about this, but it needed to be done. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw that the brunette was just standing there uncomfortably.

"Just take a seat, man. You're not leaving anytime soon."

"How do you know it?"

"You better believe it," the blonde poured the vodka and tapped the other man's glass.

"Hmpf. I never knew why you liked it so much," Sasuke commented on the choice of alcohol. "So, start talking."

"Not yet. I'm still sober. We can talk about something else, like-for example-do you like having Shikamaru as your lawyer?"

"That's not liquid courage, you know." The blonde didn't respond to the comment, so the brunette sighed heavily and gulped down another glass. "Shikamaru's fine. Thanks for making him help me."

"No problem. Don't cheat! Your glass is still half full."

"But the other half's empty," the Uchiha replied before swallowing the rest of the drink. He hated how in the Hollywood movies characters would drink vodka in huge gulps like it was nothing. Sasuke wasn't able to stop shrugging, and Naruto, although he didn't shrug, still reacted to the alcohol-he squinted his blue eyes, making himself look animalistic. The brunette actually liked the look. "Just start talking. We can discuss other stuff later."

"You've got no heart, Sasuke. But fine. I'll talk. Don't laugh, and don't interrupt me or I won't be able to finish."

"I'll shut up."

"Okay, so… you remember that party when you got so drunk that you slept here?" The brunette shook his head-many parties would fit the description. "Ino's birthday party. Yeah. So. Anyways, you were really drunk. And you slept here. With me in one bed. And then you sort of started to jerk me off." The last part of the sentence escaped his lips so fast that he wasn't even sure whether it was understandable.

"...what?!"

"It's not like I didn't want it, I mean… I kind of took your hand, and placed it _there_."

"..." Sasuke's face was red as a tomato, and he stared at Naruto with shock.

"But you started it! You spooned me, and I could actually feel your _thing_ between my thighs…"

"What _thing_?!"

"God damn it, Sasuke. Your cock. Feel better now?" The blonde inquired, equally blushed. The blue eyes were glued to the table.

"No, not really. What was my _cock_ doing between your thighs?!"

"Take a wild guess. For fuck's sake, don't be so dense."

"_I_ was drunk, and _you_ were sober enough to remember it. It's your fault."

"I didn't know it, okay?! And I was also drunk, I mean, come on, I was with you in the same room for eight hours each day for two years, and I've never jumped you."

"Then what are you doing trying to make us drunk again?"

"...I didn't even think about it. But calm down, I'm straight, okay? I checked."

"What do you mean you _checked_?!"

"...I've tried to watch some gay porn, and it didn't do anything for me."

"I don't watch it too!" Sasuke shouted, and, when he realized what it insinuated, he covered his mouth with hand, his eyes terrified.

"Are you gay?"

"..."

"Sasuke, I just admitted that I wanted you to jerk me off, okay? And that I was watching gay porn. Besides, everyone already suspects it and no one cares."

"...what do you mean 'everyone suspects it?'"

"You're called 'Gay Prince' in the office. I don't even know who started it but everyone knows that nickname. Even Kakashi."

"Oh my god."

"Don't 'oh my god.' There's nothing wrong with it. Sai's gay and he's extremely obnoxious about it, I swear to god that he spies on me just so he can go to the bathroom with me and tell me that my cock is so small that even if he took it all in his mouth, I still wouldn't have a chance to touch his tonsils." Sasuke chuckled unwillingly.

"But why would anyone think that I'm gay?"

"You've never had a girlfriend that anyone would know of, and god knows that you would have one if you wanted to. And...I don't know, apparently the gaydar _is _a thing."

"Great."

"Anyways. You started to jerk me off…"

"How many times are you going to repeat that?!"

"You were pumping my dick?"

"Naruto, don't."

"Jack off? Wank?"

"Touch. Alright?"

"So you started…"

"I already know what I did. Move on."

"You have a serious problem."

"I _don't_ have a problem."

"Whatever. And _then_ I turned to you, and started to touch you."

"...like _I_ touched you?"

"Nah, I wasn't so brave. I was just groping you."

"And you still claim that you're not gay."

"Don't interrupt me."

"...just pour me another glass."

"But no _touching_."

"Fuck you." Sasuke hissed, and Naruto smiled at him widely. The blonde thought that _he_ would be the one, who will be more embarrassed, but it turned out that the brunette was even more prim. Like a virgin.

"Here you go. So, I was groping you…" the Uzumaki started, and the Uchiha gave him an evil eye. "And you were like tired or something because you told me 'tomorrow.' And I agreed to it. And in the morning I just kind of chickened out, and then I was afraid that you would confront me about it, and I was really confused, and that's why I didn't talk to you."

"..."

"It's a legit reason. And I'm really sorry, I was just 20 at the time. I would act differently now."

"...differently how?" Naruto looked into Sasuke's eyes, and they were darker than ever. He started to feel uncomfortable.  
>"What are you doing?" He inquired seeing that the brunette stood up and moved towards him. The Uchiha didn't respond verbally, he just grabbed the still sitting man's arms and got his pale face so close to the tanned one, that Naruto just froze in place.<p>

"Is it funny now?" He asked, pulling his head even closer. "Do you still want me to jerk you off?" The blonde could feel his vodka-smelling breath on his chin. Then the brunette smashed his lips against Naruto's, and Naruto thought that he should push him away, but he didn't. The alcohol-tasting tongue found a way into his mouth, and the blonde's responded to it although he shouldn't. His honey-colored arms moved on their own, pulling the former model's delicate body to his. Sasuke evidently wasn't prepared for this, he even tried to free himself from the embrace, but halfway through he resigned, giving himself up to the sensation. The chair, dangerously tilted, didn't stand a chance against two bodies rubbing against each other and fell on the floor, taking two men with it. The blonde hissed with pain when his head bounced of the wooden parquet, and the brunette for a moment looked like he understood _what_ was happening, but then Naruto rolled with him, and now Uzumaki was on top. Uchiha stared at him with fear in his black eyes. Their erections were pressing against each other, and the blonde finally sobered up.

"I guess I'm not as straight as I thought," he tried to joke, but Sasuke didn't laugh. The brunette looked like an animal knowing it will die. Completely hopeless and panicked. His chest was moving fast, and his breath was uneven. Naruto stood up and stretched out his hand to Sasuke, but he was still lying on the floor. Seeing that the other man wasn't going to stand up, he simply lied down next to him.

They didn't say a word for the next hour. Naruto hoped that his erection will eventually disappear, but the heat radiating from the body lying just couple of centimeters from him and the wonderful warm fruity smell kept it going strong. Now he didn't even feel drunk.

"Sasuke, don't freak out, but it actually felt good. If you weren't so important to me I wouldn't even think twice about it, and I'd just fuck you, but I actually like you, and I'm afraid to mess this up," Naruto said, inhaling deeply. He sensed a movement on his right side, so he turned his head there and saw a pair of most magnificent eyes looking at him just like they did these 4,5 years ago.

"So that's how you'd have reacted back then?" Sasuke whispered.

"I wish I said it then, but I'm saying it now, and it's still relevant."

"..."

"Can we start it over?"

* * *

><p>"Can we start it over?"<p>

Sasuke looked deeply into blue eyes, wondering whether he could trust them. He still didn't regain his composure after admitting that he's gay-Naruto would be the third person to know, and the only one who was still alive. And the only one who didn't react negatively. His father was furious, and his mother looked sad and betrayed. The blonde, on the other hand, didn't really care. The brunette was attracted to the other man for almost as long as he knew him. He liked Naruto's skin tone, his soft almost yellow hair, azure eyes, strong chin, muscular arms, and even the fact that the blonde had to wax his chest. He was beautiful and manly. Sure, he fantasized about having sex with him, but he always felt guilty about it. It was so dirty. What's more, he was still a virgin at age of 24. It was sad and pathetic, and Sasuke would never admit to it, but he was too fucking scared to actually make his fantasies real. Now their realization was at his fingertips, but he still remembered how hurt he was when Naruto decided to ignore him. Now that he knew the reason it was easier to forgive it, but he never wanted to go through it again. Especially now, when his life was already in pieces. 'No' would be the most convenient answer because he wouldn't have to admit to anything. He could just lie, and tell that he doesn't want to have anything in common with the blonde, and that he isn't gay, and that he is perfectly fine, but even now, after just four days of seeing Naruto on a daily basis, he had to be sincere with himself-he didn't want to lose the blonde again.

"Sasuke? If it's too fast for you, I can live with it," Uzumaki whispered calmly. "We can be friends for now, but if you don't tell me that you definitely don't want it, I'll be waiting." The brunette cursed himself for blushing so easily.

"...let's wait, then," he replied, feeling embarrassed. He wasn't good with it. He never even had a partner, and now he felt that he's somehow disabled. He was also shocked at how easy it was for Naruto to admit that he wants to fuck another guy. Just twenty minutes before that he claimed to be strictly heterosexual, and now he was completely embracing his newly found sexuality. "Sex isn't much to you, is it?" he asked the blonde in a croaky voice.

"If you are asking whether I'm a fan of casual sex, then the answer is yes. But it only applies to the people I don't know very well. My longest 'relationship' lasted three weeks."

"Why?"

"She got bored with me, I guess. Or she had to leave. I don't really remember."

"So you didn't care."

"Probably not. But you're not a one night stand. I already told you that I like you, and we work in the same place, so if it didn't work out, it would be _troublesome_."

"Why didn't you hook up with Sakura?"

"It was just a childish crush. And she's a very passionate woman, so if I ever screwed up, I would be dead."

"Won't it be the same with me? That you only want something that you can't have?"

"Sakura was never as interested as you're right now. And I don't treat it as a gay adventure or something, if that's what you are thinking. I could have it with Sai, and the only consequence I would have to deal with would be the fact that he would tell the whole office that my dick is so small that he didn't even know that he was being penetrated until he told me to 'put it in' and was answered with 'it's already there.'"

"..."

"Don't be so stiff. I really like you, I care about you, and if I was ever to have sex with you, I would prefer to do it as a boyfriend and...boyfriend. That sounds silly. Do you have any special names or something?"

"I don't know."

"So, how many boyfriends did you have?" Naruto inquired merrily, and Sasuke panicked. Now that he knew that the blonde was such a player, admitting to being a virgin was not an option.

"Two," he lied, hoping that his nervousness would be taken as a prudery.

"And how long did your longest relationship last?"

"One year," he lied again, happy that he wasn't discovered and ashamed for doing it.

"Whoa. And why did you break up?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But I thought we were sharing secrets," Naruto whined gleefully.

"Why are you taking it so peacefully?"

"The fact that you had two boyfriends? It's a pretty normal number, you know."

"No, the fact that I'm gay, and you're bisexual, and it's only the fourth day since I came back."

"I had much more time to think about it, and it never bothered me. I'm too poor to be in any country club anyways, so nothing really changes. And we knew each other for two years, and I missed you a lot. Why do you ask?"

"..."

"...you're still in the closet, aren't you?" the blonde asked dismayed. He must had notice the look on Sasuke's face. "Well, then I'm happy that you told me."

"You've never had to make anyone happy," the brunette responded in an angry voice.

"What do you mean by that?!"

"You're an orphan, and nobody expects _anything_ from you, so every time you do something that is considered a small success for a normal person it's seen as a huge achievement. Do you really think that _anybody else_ could be as bad as you were when we started the internship? For _you_ doing something bad was _normal_, you didn't have to be ashamed for it, that's what the society expected from you."

"What the fuck? Why are you even bringing it up? Do you think that being an orphan is _easy_? That I wouldn't want my parents to be alive?"

Sasuke immediately regretted that he started the topic. And for what reason? Because he was too afraid, and because his pride was hurt.

"...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did! For fuck's sake, you're an orphan yourself, you can now enjoy all the benefits that come with it." Naruto shouted it, and got up from the floor. The brunette could hear doors slamming. He stood up himself, and went into the blonde's bedroom. He stopped in the doorway, seeing Uzumaki lying on his stomach with his head hidden in a pillow. Sasuke cursed himself for the thousandth time this day and walked up to the other man.

"I'm really sorry. Everything is fucked up right now, and I vented it on you."

Naruto mumbled something into the cushion, and the brunette sat on the mattress. When he didn't hear any objection, he lied down next to the other man, and hugged him with his arm. It was much easier than he thought it to be. Almost natural. The blonde's back was pleasantly warm.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke repeated. "Do you want me to leave?" He asked after a long pause.

"...no, stay where you are. But stop being a dick," Naruto whispered softly. He turned his head towards the brunette.

"I'll try to," Uchiha promised. The blonde's expression was still rather sad, and Sasuke started to stroke his hair. They were soft and long enough to be curled around a finger.

"So, I take it that you like cuddling," Naruto noticed smiling faintly. "It's much nicer here."

"Softer," the brunette agreed. "And I don't mind cuddling."

"...so, why is everything fucked up right now?" the blonde asked carefully, trying to hide his curiosity. Uchiha shrugged at this. He really didn't want to discuss it.

"Because of my brother, I guess," he replied. Naruto's phone rang, and Sasuke sighed relieved. Perhaps they will be able to drop the subject for tonight.

"Wait," the blonde said, and picked up his phone. The brunette was quite amazed at how Uzumaki would take all his calls in front of him. As if he didn't care if anybody else heard something private. "Hi, Sakura… Yeah, we're fine. How about you?... We're in my place… Clubbing? I don't know, I'm not in the mood… Why not? I'll be waiting… Yeah, Kakashi can come too… Sai too. But if he says anything about my penis, he's going to sleep on the balcony… Yup… We'll be waiting," Naruto said and hung up. "We're going to have some guests over. And I need to tell you something _very_ important. Sakura is dating Kakashi, but no one can know."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Perhaps because she's getting special treatment, and people would complain about it," the blonde answered happily. "You're working with us _only because_ of that, so… unless you wanted to stay with Ino and Hinata, you shouldn't whine about it."

"I'm not into gossip anyway. Who else is coming?"

"Only Sai. And don't worry, I'll protect you."

"From what?"

"He's very touchy. And he can't behave himself."

"...okay."

"I'd prefer to stay with you alone, but they did our part of work today, so we kind of owe them that." The brunette couldn't help but feel happy about this confession. Obviously he hid it, and pretended to not care.

"It's not a problem."

"We should set some rules."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't want you to freak out, so you have to tell me how much I can do around other people," the blonde murmured. He was clearly unhappy about it. Sasuke didn't blame him, but at the same time he thought that it was really considerate of the idiot to even think about it. It made him feel safer.

"Let's just pretend that we're normal friends."

"And that you're straight?"

"That would be perfect."

"Eventually we'll have to tell them."

"Why?"

"They're my friends, and I want them to be happy for me. But it's acceptable for now."

"...thanks."

"No problem. Now, if you excuse me, I have to release some pressure," Naruto stated nonchalantly and stood up, evidently heading towards the bathroom. Uchiha couldn't help but notice a huge bulge in the crotch area. '_It can't be this small_,' he thought unwillingly, feeling embarrassment flowing over him.

"You can't just tell me that you're going to masturbate, and leave me here."

"Oh? Do you want me to take you with me?" the idiot inquired jokingly making Sasuke blush some more.

"_No_! It's just extremely inappropriate."

"Less inappropriate than spending an entire evening with a boner. And you can't really blame me, I'm just an uneducated orphan with no manners."

"_Drop it_," the brunette hissed angrily, but the only answer he received was the bathroom doors slamming. Then he heard the characteristical noises, and felt that the blood found a way to his own dick too. '_Great, just great.'_


	4. Demons

**A/N: Dear Guest Reviewer, I answered to one of your reviews in, well, the reviews to this story. If you're still here, then please check this out :) I would also want to thank all of you who decided to favorite/follow the story :) It makes me really happy. **

Naruto slowly stroked his penis. He felt strangely excited about the fact that Uchiha was lying in his bed, probably just as horny as he was, and now he was listening to him masturbate, too embarrassed to actually do anything about his own erection. He wished for the brunette to show up in the bathroom, begging the blonde to _touch_ him, but he didn't fool himself. Uzumaki wasn't certain what was the source of his attraction. He did feel aroused every time he remembered how Sasuke was jerking him off, how the brunette's hard cock was throbbing between his legs, how his hot breath would give him goosebumps. And even today, that angry kiss that send them both to the floor, their members pressing against each other… For some reason Naruto recalled a scene from a gay porn, where two cocks were being pumped together. They were rubbing one another, and when the two guys came, their mixed sperm sprinkled both of their stomachs. The blonde moaned quietly with pleasure, but then he remembered how scared the black eyes seemed. He immediately felt disgusted by his behavior. Naruto cursed under his breath, undressed himself and went into a shower, hoping that the cold water will take the boner away.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was lying in Naruto's bed trying to ignore the fact that his host was currently masturbating. His own penis also demanded attention, but it was <em>way<em> below him. Eventually he got up, thinking that if some people are to come by, then they should clean the flat up. And think about rearranging the room in a way that would allow five people to sit comfortably. The blonde used to simply place the table and chairs in front of the sofa, so Uchiha simply did that. Then he put the half-full bottle of vodka into the refrigerator. That's when he heard the shower.

"That was quick," he shouted hoping that the blonde will feel stupid as hell.

"Your argument about it being inappropriate reached me," Naruto yelled back. The water stopped going, and a few moments later Uzumaki left the bathroom, wearing nothing but the towel, his hair still wet. "Hey, you already set up the room," he noticed with a thankful smile. Sasuke smiled back, his eyes glued to the window, which just so happened to reflect the blonde's body. The lines were blurred, but the view was still good enough.

"Yeah," the brunette answered, and Naruto went into the bedroom, closing the doors behind him. Uchiha sat on the chair, trying to mentally organize everything that happened during the last few days.

First of all, he was now a suspect in a murder case, and even though Shikamaru told him that he has nothing to worry about, it's still not as it's something usual. He felt mostly tired. He didn't even know what was his brother trying to gain this time. Itachi was already locked up in a psychiatric hospital, so he didn't have a chance of leaving it anyway. Perhaps he just wanted to make his brother's life more miserable. As if it wasn't bad enough as it was. Especially since the older Uchiha used to importune every major fashion house, designer, magazine, you-name-it for which Sasuke used to work, and threaten them that if he doesn't get any money, bad things will start to happen. Apparently it was not enough to imprison him, something worse had to happen. The younger Uchiha got scarred, and God knows that there are not enough Tyras in the world, so he didn't have a chance of working as a full time model. Sasuke was still shocked that _Konoha_ hired him. Kakashi insinuated that he had something to do with it when he first greeted the brunette, but _why_ he did it was rather unexplainable. And also Naruto happened. And frankly, it was more than random. Uchiha used to be in love with him, he used think of the idiot as his (only) friend, but some time had already passed and now he wasn't even sure whether what was driving him was nostalgia, sexual desire or simply the fact that he needed someone, and didn't even care who it was. Having someone who actually liked him was also a nice addition. And, truth be said, he was even kind of happy that he was going to see Sakura and Kakashi today. Sometimes they would annoy the fuck out of him, especially Hatake with all of his weird talks about how they should work together, and generally like one another. He was also the one who kept asking Sasuke what was wrong throughout the last six months of his work for _Konoha_.

The bedroom's doors opened, and Naruto showed up fully dressed again. His hair weren't completely dry and sticked to his scalp.

"We still have some time left," the blonde noticed. "But they're going to be here in ten minutes tops, so we'll talk about Itachi the next time."

"It's not like I _want_ to talk about him."

"I figured as much. So, what did you do for the past four years? Is Orochimaru really such a monster?" Uzumaki inquired casually, starting to clean up the room.

"I'd rather say that he simply has high expectations. And I was just working. I didn't have much time for anything else."

"I see… I don't think that anything really changed in _Konoha_," Naruto chatted. "I mean, we grew bigger and stuff, and I don't even know half of the people that work here now. But we graphic designers still dwell in the room 7. So I think that we're still Team 7. And now we'll be in full squad."

"With Sai?"

"Yeah, with Sai. You may not like him at first, but he's a good guy. Deep in his heart."

"If you say so."

* * *

><p>Naruto felt sort of relieved when the rest of Team 7 came. They were the ones, who he would call a 'family,' even if it was pathetic, even if he did it only because he had no real family. Kakashi was perhaps not like a father, but he could definitely fill the older brother's position. He was the one, who was always smarter than the rest, who was more experienced, and who would always insist on solving problems in a peaceful way. Sakura was like a twin sister-they were so similar to one another that it was actually frightening. They would quarrel and they would support each other like no one else could. And Sai… Sai was like the younger brother, he was so bratty, and spoiled, and he also had a nice side of him that he wasn't willing to show because it was too lame. Uzumaki felt loved by the trio, and he loved them.<p>

Sasuke didn't talk much, he mostly listened to what the others were discussing, but it felt so natural, that it didn't bother the blonde. Especially since Uchiha also seemed to enjoy himself. It must had been a blast after everything he went through. It wasn't the best party they ever had, it was casual, and not-so-special, and it was wonderful. None of the new guests asked the brunette something that would be difficult to answer. Sakura was partly lying on Kakashi, who stopped being conscious of it, which was a nice thing. They didn't have to hide anything, not in front of their friends. It was so soothing.

Naruto was sitting on the couch with Haruno and Hatake, leaving the only two chairs to Sasuke and Sai. It was much less suspicious that way. They didn't touch each other throughout the evening, and they didn't even talk much. The blonde knew that all of them were going to sleep in his place, and he tried to think of the best locations for each of them, but they were still one place short. Obviously, Sakura and Kakashi would sleep together, but then there was only the couch, and only two people would be able to fit in there. Three people could sleep in the bed, so the best solution was to allow the pair sleep on the sofa, and make all three men sleep in the bed. But then again, he didn't want Sasuke to sleep by Sai, which would mean that Naruto should sleep in the middle.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had to admit that he was preparing himself for something much worse than <em>this<em>. The party was nice, nobody wanted anything from him, and the people were simply talking about some rather unimportant stuff. At one point Sai laughed at Naruto, claiming that Hinata Hyuuga must had already built a shrine to him, but Sakura hit him right in the solar plexus taking his breath away.

After some time had passed, Sai patted Uchiha on the shoulder and asked him to go smoke with him. The brunette didn't smoke regularly, and was quite curious why he, of all the people the other brunette could choose from, was invited for a cigarette, but he didn't object. The two went downstairs and sat on the bench placed in front of the apartment block. Sasuke didn't have any cigarettes, but he was offered one. They smoked in silence, and then Sai decided to break it.

"I thought that you will be _so_ much cooler."

"What?"

"No, don't take it the wrong way. But you see, I came in as your replacement, and, well, I was much better than you. And just as good looking. And way funnier. But Sakura and Naruto still kept on whining, saying that you were infinitely better than I was. You know, if I was just a regular guy, I would grow self-conscious because of that. And after some time they would just start to pretend that you never existed. It was even worse, you know. Because that time I actually tried to fulfill their expectations, so whenever I did anything that would just resemble something you would've done in their opinion, I would be called a poser."

"I still don't know what you're getting at," Sasuke said.

"It's just that you're such an average guy. So I feel kind of envious."

"I was here first."

"I would be furious if you fucked this up," Sai stated calmly with a smile on his face. Somehow, it didn't look very friendly.

"It's none of your business," Sasuke answered, feeling that he wasn't destined to like this man. He didn't like being called average. And _he_ was the original Team 7 member. And _he_ was the present Team 7 member. Unlike Sai.

"It actually is. Since you came back, I had to spend two days doing _your_ job. And I didn't do it for you."

"You didn't have to do it."

"I had to, I actually _care_ about them. And they would be devastated if you were fired for such a silly reason."

"..."

"Get your shit together. That's all I'm asking of you. And now, if you kindly excuse me, I'm going home."

Sasuke was left on the bench completely dumbfounded. From what Naruto said, Sai was just a guy who would make fun of his penis, but it didn't seem so simple now. When he entered the apartment again, his previous team members and supervisor were already napping on the couch. He smiled to himself, and went to sleep in the blonde's bedroom. The covers smelled like Naruto, not the fresh-out-of-shower one, but the usual one. It felt kind of homelike, and Uchiha dozed off in a second.

Some hours later he was woken up by someone climbing into the bed. He moved a little bit, making place for the new sleeper.

"Hey, Sasuke. Sorry to wake you up, but Kakashi and Sakura are groping each other. They stopped now only because they realized that _I_ was also there. One of them even slapped my ass, and I'm still not sure for whom it will be more awkward," Naruto whispered laughing. "Where's Sai?"

"He went home."

"Oh? That's so thoughtful of him," the blonde noticed, wrapping himself in the covers. "Good night, we'll have to wake up early if we want to take a shower."

"Good night," Sasuke replied quietly, feeling pleasant warmness on his back. He didn't remember when was the last time he actually slept with somebody else, and he didn't realize how much had he missed it until now.

* * *

><p>Naruto woke up and stretched. Then he started to cough because he choked on black hair. The black hair moved, and Sasuke showed up. Just a second ago he was completely wrapped in covers, even his face was hidden. The blonde smiled at him. Luckily, their heads were the only parts of their bodies that were touching.<p>

"You smell like cigarettes," Uzumaki noticed lazily.

"Then don't sniff me" was the reply. Naruto grinned one more time, and got up. When he entered the living room, he noticed that Kakashi and Sakura were already gone. Today was the last Saturday before printing new _Konoha_ issue and the magazine didn't need the photoshoppers to be there, so it was Naruto and Sasuke's day off. Today they will finally be able to talk about all the pressing matters. The man opened the fridge and took out some ham and cheese. It wasn't going to be the most delicious breakfast ever but he didn't really feel very creative. When he reached for the bread, he noticed that there was none. He sighed with irritation and put on some clothes, so he could go buy it.

Naruto was just about to pay when he saw that one of the tabloids had a huge picture of Sasuke on the front page. And it did scream 'murderer.' He decided to buy it as well—there was no point in hiding it from the brunette—he _was_ going to learn about this one way or another. When he came home, Uchiha was already awake. The blonde didn't like this fact—he hoped that he'll be able to read the rag alone, so he could soften the blow later. He also noticed that Sasuke was still wearing his old clothes.

"I'll lend you a t-shirt and some underwear," the blonde proposed.

"I should go home anyways."

"But I can't really drive you there, and I believe that people would appreciate it if you showered."

"...fine," he finally answered.

"Although my clothes are going to be too big for you."

"I don't really care."

"And the t-shirt will be too short. Your proportions are fucked up when it comes to dressing you in normal people's clothing."

"Tell me about it," Sasuke smiled. "Anything you give me will be fine, I just need to get to my home."

"I suppose so," the blonde replied handing the other man a regular black t-shirt and other things. "Everything's in the shower, so I guess that you'll manage."

"Yeah."

When Uchiha left for the bathroom, Naruto quickly grabbed the rag and started reading the article.

"_Sasuke Uchiha (24), a well-known male model and the face of Akatsuki latest collection, was recently accused of murdering his parents. It is said that he did it with a poisoned wine which he gifted to them. The police already released him but they didn't want to answer any questions. Will this case also be swept under the rug? Our source claims that Sasuke Uchiha quarrelled with his parents because they didn't accept his homosexuality. Was that the motive for this outrageous crime?_

_What's more, we also learned that Itachi Uchiha (28), Sasuke's brother, is currently locked up in a psychiatric hospital. He claims that he was put in there because of his younger brother's scheming. Apparently he was an inconvenient witness of Sasuke's crime. The ward manager doesn't plan on providing him with better security."_

The article was also adorned with huge photos of Sasuke, the majority of them posed. There were also some quotations from earlier interviews with Uchiha, all of them out of context. Naruto sighed heavily. The article was obviously shit, but it was still going to upset his friend. He left the tabloid on the table and started preparing breakfast. Ten minutes later Uzumaki was sitting at the table with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands, and the brunette left the bathroom. His wet hair were dangling by his pale face looking even darker than normally. The t-shirt was too loose for him, but the length was all right. The blonde noticed that Sasuke's arms were also spotted with black marks. He wanted to know what they were but there was so much going on right now that it didn't seem like the right moment to ask. The brunette sat in front of him, taking his cup of coffee and a smile started to form on his face. Then he noticed the rag and the smile faded away.

"I thought you'd like to see it. But I wouldn't worry too much about it, it's just a shitty article."

"...thanks," the brunette answered and scanned the tabloid. His face grew paler and paler with every word he read. "...did you tell them something?" Sasuke finally inquired in a grave tone.

"No, why would I?" The blonde asked sincerely.

"_Nobody_ knows that I'm... gay. Nobody but you, that is."

"For fuck's sake, Sasuke, I learned about it _yesterday._ And you were with me the whole time, so drop it."

"...right. Sorry."

"Perhaps it was one of your boyfriends," Naruto suggested. He noticed that the brunette shrugged nervously. He didn't want to talk about them the last time, so maybe the breakups were bad. It only affirmed his assumptions that it must had been one of these guys.  
>"It wasn't."<p>

"Look, there's like a thousand of worse things in there, and you're just worrying about the gay thing. And it could've been one of them."

"'_The gay thing_' is the only true part. And it _wasn't_ one of them."

"Then who else? I mean come on, you spend a _year_ with one of these guys, you had to talk to him. And I bet that you spend _most_ of the time doing that."

"I didn't talk with him. And there's nobody else."

"I'm not going to believe that you were just shagging. Because if you were, then _we_ would be already doing it too. So don't lie to me."

"Naruto, the guy doesn't exist, okay?" Sasuke said,covering his face with the palm of his hand. "You're the only person that knows that I'm gay. The only alive one that is."

The blonde looked at the other male with a shocked expression on his face. If he was the only _alive_ one to know, then the others must be Uchiha's parents. And if there's no one else, then Sasuke must be a virgin. The brunette studied Naruto cautiously, as if he was trying to guess what was on his mind. Uzumaki gulped. This magnificent bastard was a freaking virgin. Normally the blonde wouldn't want to mess with that, he considered it an undesirable responsibility, but now it seemed kind of hot. He cursed himself for being so horny. There were more important issues to deal with.

"I see. So. Uhm. Who could it be?"

"Perhaps Itachi somehow learned about it. But he shouldn't be able to contact with the outside world."

"Maybe he talked about it with someone else."

"This could be true."

"What are you going to do now?"

"Deny everything. The other stuff isn't true, and there's no proof that I'm gay."

"You didn't even kiss anybody?"

"Only women," Sasuke replied frowning. "And _you._"

"I'll keep it a secret if you really want me to, but… do you plan to stay this way forever?"

"This way?"

"Do you really want to hide everything from the world? What's so wrong with being gay?"

"I wouldn't be in this fucked up situation if I wasn't gay. And perhaps my parents would be still alive."

Naruto looked closely into the black eyes. They seemed almost too calm for him, as if the brunette was just voicing an obvious fact.

"Your parents didn't kill themselves because you're gay. They had their own problems," Uzumaki tried to reason with the other male.

"...my parents didn't kill themselves."

"...what do you mean by that?" The blonde inquired feeling the blood leaving his face.

"The wine belonged to me."

"Why would you have a poisoned wine?!"

"I made it for myself." Sasuke stated in a cold tone. Naruto gasped mentally, and simply stared at the man. He didn't know what to do or say. Obviously Uchiha wasn't the first person he knew that wanted to kill her- or himself, many of the people he used to live with in the orphanages ended their lives for various reasons, but this time it was someone he cared more deeply about. Before, when he heard that one of his acquaintances tried to or committed suicide, he was just sad. This time he was mostly scared. He had already realized that he needs to be careful with Sasuke, that he can't just push all the buttons and see what happens, but now he was feeling as if he was trying to disarm a ticking bomb.

There was this one time when Jiraiya, editor-in-chief of _Icha Icha Paradise_, a pornographic magazine, advised Naruto that he should give up on Uchiha because he might be a lost cause, and that the blonde will only get scarred for life because he's bound to be blaming himself for everything that could go wrong, but Uzumaki didn't want to listen to the old pervert. Sure, he was wiser than he seemed to be, and he always tried to do everything to ensure that Naruto stays happy and safe, but Sasuke was a _friend_. And you don't abandon your friends. Jiraiya wasn't very shocked when he heard his protege's answer, but he didn't like it either.

"Don't kill yourself," the blonde whispered in a small voice.

"I'm not planning to. That happened many years ago."

"I'm serious. Don't."

"I'm not."

"And it was all just an accident. It has nothing to do with the fact that you're gay. You can't blame yourself."

"Don't be childish. It _is_ my fault and I have to live with it. But I'm not going to kill myself," Sasuke said. Naruto stood up and grabbed the other man with his arms, also forcing him to stand. Then he hugged him tightly, bending slightly and hiding his face under the other male's chin. He could hear his heart beat. It was such a comforting sound. At first Uchiha was stiff, but then he relaxed his body and hugged the blonde back.

"You can't kill yourself," Uzumaki whispered.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stared at the blond hair. They were slightly shaking, and he felt a wild need to touch them. It's not like he was missing human touch as it was-photographers and the casting directors did touch him, but not in such a way. They were just checking whether he was good enough. And some models he worked with did hug him, but it still wasn't even close to what he was feeling right now. Knowing that someone actually cares was priceless.<p>

"I'm already healed," he assured the shorter man. "You don't have to worry about it."

"Whatever happens I'll be here for you," Naruto stated firmly and Uchiha felt that his face felt extremely hot, as if he was standing way too close to fire. He was feeling so ambivalent. Simultaneously he wanted to kiss the other male and to run away. Why couldn't he be normal and why couldn't he or Uzumaki be a woman? It would be so much simpler. He hated how right it felt with Naruto because he _knew_ that it wasn't right, it was just an illusion. It was easy to convince himself that he shouldn't do it, he believed in it with all his heart, but he needed it so badly. The blonde gasped with shock when Sasuke's lips touched his. They brushed against each other slowly. The brunette cupped Naruto's face with his hands, his long and slim fingers pressing against the soft cheeks, feeling the unshaved face hair. Uzumaki pulled him down, and when their faces were on the same level, he kissed him again, pushing his warm and coffee-tasting tongue inside the brunette's mouth. The position was rather uncomfortable, but Sasuke was willing to bend a little bit if it made the blonde feel better about his own height. It's not like Uchiha was much taller than him, it was just fifteen centimeters, and Naruto wasn't exactly short, he was simply average. The brunette smiled to himself. Uzumaki always appeared so full of himself that it was kind of refreshing to see that he was self-conscious about something so irrelevant. When their lips parted, the two males looked each other in the eyes for a moment.

"I thought that you wanted to wait," the blonde noticed with a hopeful smile on his face.

Sasuke stared at him, not knowing what to do. They already crossed the border between friendship and 'something else,' whatever it might be, and they did it four and a half years ago. And yet he didn't feel ready for anything more. Even sole thought of undressing in front of Naruto and showing him his soiled skin made Uchiha feel uncomfortable. The blonde probably didn't even care about it-he already saw it, and apparently it didn't bother him too much but the brunette still didn't feel confident about his body. And it was way too fast for him-they had their little talk about their 'future' just yesterday, and for Sasuke it felt too rushed. "I _can_ wait," Naruto assured the other man. "But it will be hard to pretend that we're just normal friends."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," the blonde replied with a faint smile. "We'll work it out eventually. And I won't say anything to anyone. Even though I'm feeling as if I was cheating on Sakura," Uzumaki joked. Uchiha looked at him with a concerned expression on his face. It's not like he didn't want _it_, he simply didn't know if he could do it.

* * *

><p>What Naruto felt was confusion. The first time he was kissed by Sasuke it was more random, and they were both drunk, and the brunette was clearly angry, and he was probably trying to scare off Uzumaki. The second kiss felt more natural, and the blonde wanted more. And yet he didn't dare to do anything. He probably <em>could<em> push Uchiha into having sex with him, but somehow it didn't feel right. It wasn't the first time in his life when he felt _something_ for someone else, he already went through it with Sakura, but now he felt it too. And it scared him. Sasuke was so vulnerable at the moment that he wanted to do everything to just defend him from the world, to keep him safe and happy, to solve all of his problems. He knew that he couldn't and shouldn't do it-they were both adults. And he was afraid that he would destroy Uchiha beyond repair if he did something wrong. Normally he would think about running away from the relationship, he wasn't used to being dependent on someone and to have someone depend on him. This time he knew he would hate himself if he fucked this up. He knew this man, and for all these years he knew that he loved him, even if it was just as a friend. Now he also realized that he wanted him more than anything else.

* * *

><p>Sasuke traveled home by taxi and he was more than glad that his driver didn't even know who he was. When he reached his destination, he could see paparazzis standing in front of his house. Yesterday there was only six of them but now the number has doubled. He sighed with irritation and paid for the cab. Naruto wanted to come with him, but the brunette didn't see why should he. It would only be even more problematic if the hyenas would see him with another guy. Uchiha passed the photographers and some journalists, ignoring all the flashes and questions. When he finally entered his home, he locked the door and went upstairs so he could open a window. Sasuke usually avoided the second floor of his house and would visit it only when he had to clean it up. There were just four rooms-his father's studio, bathroom, small storing room and Itachi's room.<p>

He didn't touch anything in the house, never bought anything new or moved something to a different spot. It was like a very dusty museum, save for his own room which was the only clean one. When the two brothers inherited the residence, Sasuke was still a minor and Itachi was the one, who was to take care of him. His older brother wasn't the best guardian he could imagine-he sold the majority of the family's fortune and now the house was only partially furnished. The younger Uchiha remembered that he would hide some of the things that were important to him just so they would stay where they should. He never allowed to sell his mother's favorite set of tableware, her ruby brooch or the engagement ring that Fugaku proposed with. Itachi never really worked, so when the insurance money were gone, he was gone too, and Sasuke was left with bills that had to be paid. He was still amazed that he was able to support himself and to keep the residence more or less intact. He could never afford the much needed renovation, but he always tried to keep the house clean and to repair everything he could.

The younger Uchiha never before had spend more than thirty minutes in Itachi's bedroom. It was one of the very few rooms that looked almost just the way it did before the tragedy. Now it appeared as the only place where he could stay hidden from the cameras. He dusted it off and made a bed for himself. Then he grabbed his laptop and started to read an ebook on graphic design that he bought a few days ago. His skills in this field turned a little bit rusty and he also needed to learn about the newest innovations. The slightly opened window was covered with curtains and Sasuke could hear the muffled sounds made by the people outside.

When the night came, the brunette began to feel even worse in his own home. The sounds never stopped, and the feeling of being surrounded by hostile entities got stronger. He was just sitting on the rug with his back against the bed. He was too afraid to actually fall asleep, and realized that being alone right now was not the best choice he could make. The blond idiot distracted him in the best way possible but now his mind was swarmed with thoughts that made him feel even more paranoid. How could Itachi contact with the outside world? Could he come here and harm Sasuke again? Will he be able to convince the court that Fugaku and Minato were murdered? What if Tsunade won't allow the younger Uchiha to still work for _Konoha_? What if Naruto is not a friend? What if he just wants to use Sasuke for his own gain and enjoyment? What if Shikamaru was wrong about this case being so trivial?

It was already midnight, and even though Uchiha was sleepy he didn't even change his position. His legs were starting to get numb, and he realized that he won't be able to sleep this night. Hiruzen always told him that if he ever starts to feel bad he should just ask someone for help, and that it didn't hurt his pride, and that there are not many people who would consider it bothersome. Sasuke already tried to do it before, but Naruto let him down. This time it was even more difficult to muster enough amount of courage to do it. He could call him, but it was already late and he could be sleeping. He could go to his place, but traveling on this night felt extremely dangerous. He was even too afraid to just pass all the paparazzis that were still swarming at the entrance to his house. Finally, the brunette reached for his cellphone and wrote simple "Come here." If the blonde sleeps, he won't wake up, and if he doesn't want to come, he could always lie that he got this text in the morning. Uchiha's hands were shaking. The room became even smaller than it was before. Sasuke wished he could close his eyes so he wouldn't need to watch the strange shadows forming on the wall before him, but he thought that if he did that, something bad would happen. His phone buzzed, and the brunette grabbed it swiftly. "I'll be there in 30 minutes," Naruto wrote. Uchiha's heart leapt in his chest. He just had to endure thirty minutes of this horror and Naruto will come bringing the Sun with him. He'll be safe again.

Twenty minutes later Sasuke noticed that the wall was now well lit with headlights. He made himself stand up and look through the window. There it was, the wonderful orange toyota. The driver stepped out of the car and got surrounded by the hyenas. He stood there, not knowing what to do. When he tried to go in the house direction, paparazzis got in his way once again. Uchiha inhaled deeply and went downstairs. When he unlocked the door, he got blinded with flashes of bright light but he endured it. He closed the door with the key not wanting anyone to come in when he wasn't looking, and moved towards the blonde, who smiled at him apologetically. He passed the photographers and journalists, grabbed Uzumaki's wrist and pulled him into his frontyard leading him into the house.

"They're crazy," Naruto noticed.

"They are," Sasuke agreed and opened the door. When he locked it once again, he turned on the lights for the first time this day. "Thanks for coming," he whispered. "Let's go upstairs," he said noticing the concern in the blue eyes.

When the two finally got into Itachi's room, the brunette sat down the same way he did before, and the blonde followed into his steps. The room was dark.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked quietly.

"I don't really know. I just needed you here," Sasuke answered in a defeated voice.

"No wonder. I would've gone insane if I had to sit here all by myself," Uzumaki admitted, and the brunette felt a warm and strong hand touching his own. He took it gratefully, feeling the warmth and calmness spreading into his body. He was glad that it was so dark in here that they couldn't see each other's faces. They were sitting like this for more than an hour when Sasuke felt Naruto's head landing on his shoulder. The blonde was sleeping deeply. The brunette smiled with affection. He released his hand and took the other male in his arms, trying to lay him down on the bed without waking him up. He realized he failed in doing this when he lied down next to him and faintly saw the blue eyes staring at him peacefully.

"Go to sleep, Sasuke," Uzumaki murmured softly and embraced Uchiha delicately, as if waiting for approval. The brunette didn't protest and grabbed the blonde's free hand instead. He fell asleep shortly after, not disturbed by the outside world.

Some hours later the brunette woke up violently. He was certain that _someone_ was in the house. It was already dawning, so he and Naruto couldn't sleep much longer anyway. He sat on the bed, ready to grab anything that could be considered a weapon and go downstairs.

"What are you doing?" The blonde asked yawning.

"There's someone in the house."

"No, there's not."

"I've heard doors opening just a moment ago."

"Sasuke, look, I've been awake for a solid hour now and the only sound I've heard was you snoring." Uchiha looked at the blonde with a puzzled expression on his face. "Hey, if you really want to, we can check the house for intruders but I'm one hundred percent positive that there are none."

"...there's no need to," the brunette answered, deeply ashamed about his behavior.

"You can't live here, you know."

"It's my home," Sasuke stated and lied down once again.

"I've seen haunted houses in theme parks that are less creepy than this 'home' of yours."

"I can't sell it. It's my duty."

"I'm not telling you to sell it. I'm just saying that you can't live in it. You didn't act like this when we were at my place."

"I can't move in with you. The press would go crazy."

"Why won't you just think about what _you_ want? I mean, this house, your life as it is right now-that's just a facade."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then make me understand. Why do you care so much about all these other people? They don't really care about you, of that I'm certain. If it was up to me, you would wake up to a blowjob instead of worrying about someone breaking into a house you _don't _really want."

"What the fuck makes you think that I'd rather wake up to a 'blowjob' than to live in my family house? Your priorities are fucking messed up."

"Do you actually _enjoy_ this? If you liked being in this house I wouldn't have to come here yesterday."

"You didn't have to come here."

"_You_ asked me to."

"And now I'm asking you to leave."

"...Sasuke," Naruto tried to reason with the other male, trying to hide how hurt he was. "It's not like I _didn't_ want to come here. I wanted to. It's just that I didn't want to come here for such a reason."

"I mean it. Go home." The blonde left the bed and collected the bag with his belongings. His hair was a complete mess, and Uchiha wondered whether what he just said was justified. '_It was_,' he thought. Uzumaki didn't have any legacy to uphold, he didn't know the pressure to meet expectations, he just wanted to fuck a dude. Damn, Sasuke must had been the perfect candidate for Mr. 'I-guess-I'm-not-as-heterosexual-as-I-thought.' The blonde wouldn't have to deal with anything afterwards, so the worst thing that could happen to him was bad sex. The brunette became even angrier than he was before.

Finally, Naruto left the room and Sasuke could hear the front door unlocking. He wanted to run downstairs as fast as he could and close it again, but he made himself wait an acceptable amount of time until he did it. When he was doing it, he noticed that the orange car was still standing before his frontyard, surrounded by paparazzis. He wondered if Naruto couldn't drive away because of them but he didn't hear the engine. Uchiha cursed under his breath. That damned brat probably just wanted to punish him by providing all the local rags with a juicy story about the model/murderer's gay lover.

He showered and put on some clothes, feeling even worse than on yesterday's evening. As if he lost something valuable. He wasn't really sure now if he was right in his judgement. Perhaps Uzumaki _was_ right, perhaps this house _was_ killing him. Perhaps it would be better if he moved out.


	5. Halloween

When Sasuke left for work, he was once again attacked by the reporters. They yelled their questions, and he ignored them. Then he got onto a cab, thinking that if he'll have to drive the damn thing everyday then he's seriously damaging his budget. The driver eyed him suspiciously but didn't start talking, and the brunette was grateful for that. In front of the _Konoha_ building, where the taxi left him off, there were even more paparazzis and Uchiha noticed angrily that some of the people he worked with were more than happy to answer their questions. 'Oh yeah, he was always weird.' 'With Naruto? I don't think so, he's straight. Perhaps with someone else?' Sasuke could hear people gossipping, and what he thought to be most bizarre was the fact that they didn't even lower their voices. He couldn't recognize any of the faces. He finally entered the building, and after enduring some pretty hostile stares, he was eventually able to reach Room 7. Sakura was already in there. She send him a sad stare and rose to her feet, hugging him softly. It surprised him at first, but he relaxed pretty soon.

"Oh my gosh, Sasuke, how are you?!"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, I've read all these horrible stuff they wrote about you… and don't worry, no one who actually knows you would ever believe in this crap. But how are you dealing with it?"

"I'm kind of used to it, I guess. But thanks."

"Where's Naruto?" The woman asked and let go of Sasuke.

"...how should I know?"  
>"I thought he was with you… and there's that meeting at 10 am, and one of us should really go."<p>

"I really don't know where he is. But how do you know that he was with me? Did he call you?"

"No, it's all over the internet. Apparently he's your new lover," she answered and laughed merrily, evidently thinking that it would be completely absurd.

"Oh. And about that meeting-you could go there and I would deal with whatever we are supposed to deal with today."

"Well, there's nothing yet, I believe. There aren't any unfinished projects for Christmas Special, and we don't have the new stuff either. So we're just waiting. You could go to Kakashi and ask him if he needs any help with the Halloween Party preparations, though. But Kakashi is right now at the heads of the department's meeting so we'll have to wait anyways. I could make you some coffee, if you want."

Sasuke eyed Sakura calmly. She seemed much more rational and normal now. He remembered her as an annoying girl, who would sometimes have her moment and not be annoying, but that was it.

"Actually, I'd prefer it if you showed me how to use this machine, so I could make us coffee. What about this Halloween Party? Is Kakashi hosting it?"

"Sure, I'll show you. First, you have to check whether there's water inside, and then you add coffee here, and now we have to wait until this LED lights up. You don't know about the Halloween Party? It's happening today, and it's for all the employees of _Konoha._ We have one every year on the last Sunday of October. Obviously, nobody's wearing any crazy costumes, much to _some people's_ discontent. But hey, it's still pretty neat."

"Count me out."

The woman studied him thoroughly. She pressed a button on the coffee machine and it started working. It was even less complicated than the previous one.

"Look, sweetie, I shouldn't tell you this because I shouldn't _know_ this, but… well, Tsunade is _not_ very happy with this whole situation. And believe me, I really get you, it's just some stupid party and all, but… see, if it wasn't for Kakashi, I'm not sure whether you'd still be here. So it would actually help a lot if you'd just, I don't know, show some team spirit or something. So everyone else would see that you care. Look, party starts at 9 pm and you can leave after midnight because that's when there'll be some announcements. That's just three hours. And you'll just hang out with us. There'll be nice food and free drinks, and it's really not this bad."

"...what's the dress code?" Sasuke inquired in a defeated tone.

"Just put on some nice suit. Oh, hi, Naruto." The woman shouted and waved at the blonde, who just entered the room. He looked quite unhappy.

"Hi."

"What's up with the long face?"

"I left my car keys at Sasuke's."

"Oh?" She looked at her friend questioningly.

"So I had to get to my house, change, and then come here. It was such a pain in the ass."

"I still don't get it. Why didn't you just go back and take your keys?"

"...I didn't want to wake him up," Uzumaki lied unconvincingly. The pink-haired woman stared at him with a puzzled expression on her face for a moment but then she just shrugged and dropped the topic. She didn't even question him about _what_ was Uzumaki doing in Uchiha's house.

"Anyways, Naruto. I've found you a date for the party." Sasuke hated himself for the fact that he felt an immense need to listen to their conversation. And for the fact that he felt slightly jealous.

"What date?" Uzumaki asked shocked. "I thought we were going together."

"Well, not anymore. Kakashi asked me out." She chirped happily, evidently proud of herself.

"He did? That's awesome! But you didn't have to find me a date, I could just go alone."

"Yeah, but she asked me for it… and frankly, Naruto, I'm a little bit tired of it."

"...you didn't."

"She's a sweet girl. It would actually benefit you if you had a proper girlfriend."

"I don't do _sweet girls_, and you know it."

"Well, perhaps you should. She actually cares about you, and doesn't just want her photos to be retouched."  
>"I'm not messing with your life and telling you how to live it, Sakura. Just, please, return the fucking favor."<p>

"Just give her a chance. In the worst case scenario you'll confirm your stupid beliefs, and she will _finally_ realize that you're just a regular dick."

"I'd rather go with Sai." Uchiha clenched his teeth at that. It's not like Naruto should go with _him_, after all that's what the brunette wanted-to pretend that he's normal. But it still hurt to see the blonde considering other candidates.

"Too bad because Sai already has a date."

"Why can't I just go alone?!"

"You _can_ but you'd have to tell her _now_ that you don't want to even spend three fucking hours with her."

"You're awful."

"I'm not. Just deal with it, really, you're acting as if going with Hinata to the party was the worst thing that could happen to you."

"It's not, but that's just _another_ problem."

"If I didn't know you better, I'd think that you couldn't deal with accompanying a girl for three fucking hours. God damn it, Naruto, grow up."

After that the blonde mumbled something under his nose, and, evidently angry at his female friend, left the room.

"Sorry, Sasuke. I guess it must had been pretty awkward. He's just so… I don't know, I think he changed after you left. Before that he was more of a romantic, and now he can't stand even thinking about treating a woman seriously. Maybe you could talk some sense into him," Sakura proposed. The brunette eyed her suspiciously. Was she trying to check whether the gossip websites were right about his affair with the blonde? What other reason would she have to talk to him like this? As if he never left?

"I have my own problems, Sakura," he replied diplomatically, not wanting to tell her that he was actually thrilled when he heard that the idiot was _not_ interested in Hinata. He still wasn't sure whether it should bother him at all-after all, this morning he told the blonde to go away. And he still wasn't sure whether he could expect Naruto to be the person he fell in love with over five years ago.

* * *

><p>After the meeting the trio learned everything they needed to know about the upcoming issue. It wasn't as important to them, the graphics, as it was for the other departments, but this way they weren't left out and could also voice their opinions. When the meeting ended it was already noon. Because there was a party planned for the evening, the majority of employees simply went home in order to prepare themselves for it.<p>

"I already promised Kakashi that I'll help him out," Sakura whined, pretending to be unhappy. Sasuke could clearly see that she was prouder than even. Her presence made him feel calm-he didn't have to worry about making her believe that he could see her as something more than just a friend anymore, and they were talking only about everyday stuff, what allowed him to… perhaps not _forget_, but to put all his other problems in the back of his mind, and concentrate on little things.

"I'll help, too," he proposed.

"But… I thought we're going to retrieve my keys," Naruto complained.

"...right. And I'll need to grab the suit… can I come here in an hour?" The brunette asked the woman, who smiled widely. The blonde still looked kind of grumpy.

"No problem, just give me a call when you're ready."

* * *

><p>The two men walked out of the room. Naruto looked as if he wanted to say something-he even opened his mouth a couple of times, but he didn't break the uncomfortable silence that was surrounding them. Sasuke didn't feel like talking either, he was still angry that the blonde didn't respect his wishes, and ashamed that he needed Uzumaki to come to his house in the middle of the night. Grownups don't act like this.<p>

The blonde wanted to go by bus, but he quickly changed his mind when the press swarmed them again. When they were sitting in the cab, they didn't talk either. The two eventually reached Uchiha's house, and Sasuke noticed that now there were fewer paparazzis than in the morning. Perhaps he wasn't a hot topic anymore. He sighed with relief. They walked into the building, and Naruto finally spoke.

"I can drive you back if you hurry up," he proposed shyly.

"You're not helping with the preparations?"

"Nah. I'm going home."

"All right, then. Just give me ten minutes. I need to iron the shirt."

"Fine," the blonde replied and sat down on the bed in Sasuke's bedroom, watching him choose the suit and shirt. He went with the classic-black suit, white shirt, black tie. While ironing, he kept watching Uzumaki, who didn't even look him in the eye. He wondered what was wrong-usually Naruto was excited about parties. When he was finished, he packed everything in a suit bag, and tapped the blonde on the shoulder.

"We can leave now," he said. Uzumaki simply stood up and headed towards the doors.

"Why are you always closing it?"

"That's what you're supposed to do with doors," Uchiha answered matter-of-factly, pretending that there was absolutely _nothing_ weird about it. He had realized that he was a little bit too meticulous about it, but it wasn't such a big deal anyways.

"Yeah, but…" Naruto stopped in mid-sentence. Then he walked out, his eyes glued to the floor. The brunette didn't know what was wrong with him, but wasn't sure whether asking him about it _now_ was such a good idea. Perhaps the blonde simply didn't want to entertain the Hyuuga girl and was angry at Sakura for making him do it. The two got into the car, and Uzumaki drove him to _Konoha_. He was still unusually silent. Sasuke bid farewell to him, and went headed towards the building looking for Haruno while the blonde was sitting in his car watching him go away from him.

* * *

><p>The party was probably much better than Sasuke expected it to be, at least in the beginning. It took place in a rented banquet hall, which was beautifully decorated in white and black. There were some Halloween accents here and there-like little white ceramic pumpkins on the tables, and black tablecloths. Sasuke was sitting together with people from the graphic department, so there was Kakashi and Sakura (some people were more surprised than the others that the two are a couple), Sai and his date Whatshisname, Naruto and Hinata, and some people he didn't know. Next to them were the technicians-Shino, Kiba, Choji, and, again, some people he never met. Some band everyone but him knew was playing music, and the whole thing was more or less pleasant.<p>

Uchiha spent most of his time talking to Sakura and watching Naruto, who had a fake smile on his face throughout the evening. He noticed that Hinata didn't really talk much, she was just sitting and smiling, and nodding every time the blonde said a word. It looked kind of drolly. Eventually Ino came by, evidently bored.

"God, Sakura, you could've arranged it so I would sit with you guys," she complained and sat where Sai, who just disappeared with his date, a quite handsome blond man, was sitting before.

"Ino, you know that I would love to have you here, but there aren't enough chairs… but don't worry, just two more hours and there'll be more space."

"You could've just make _him _sit somewhere else," Yamanaka whined, pointing at Sasuke with her long finger. Sakura frowned, evidently not pleased with her words.

"Fuck off," Naruto said clearly angry about something.

"Oh, I see that you're protecting your gay boyfriend," the blond woman said laughing merrily. "You're either whoring yourself or messing with murderers. I wouldn't pin so much hope on that guy, Hinata."

Sasuke, taken aback by her bluntness, simply stared at her. Uzumaki opened his mouth, ready to yell.

"Stop being so mean to Naruto," Hinata whispered softly. Everybody stared at her. She _never_ talked back to Ino. And even if what she said couldn't be exactly labeled as 'talking back,' it was still more than she had ever managed to do. The blond woman's cheeks grew rosy red.

"I think you should go back to your spot," Kakashi noticed, seemingly uninterested in whatever was happening. Ino rushed there, and the black-haired woman looked as if she was having a panic attack. Sakura stared at Naruto, expecting him to do _something_, but the man just downed another glass of some alcoholic beverage, challenging the woman with his eyes. She gave up, and patted Hinata on her back, telling her that she doesn't have anything to worry about because Ino won't be mad at her anyways. Sasuke stared at other people, wondering whether anyone will want to still call him gay murderer, but everyone pretended to be busy with something else. He _could_ accept that.

Some time later Sasuke learned that Sakura was a saint. She managed to talk to her own date, Naruto's date, Sasuke, and still look happy as hell, even though Uchiha did notice that she would clench her fist every time the blonde didn't act the way he should have in her opinion. She was also able to not get angry at Sai's sassy comments, and still have the whole party under control. Because after some time it got pretty clear that Kakashi was only titularly responsible for the organization. And she managed to do all that on only sparkled water. What was worse, after some time Sasuke realized that Naruto was completely hammered. It wasn't so obvious when he was sitting and not talking, but he could notice that his head was tilted, and that his vision must had gotten pretty blurred.

"I think Naruto's drunk," he whispered into pink-haired woman's ear. She looked at him terrified. Then she eyed the blonde suspiciously and cursed under her breath.

"Bathroom, now," she ordered Uzumaki, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him up from his seat. He didn't even budge. Uchiha stood up and helped her out. Some people stared at them, and Hinata looked at them completely confused. When Naruto finally got up, she followed them, stopping for a moment in front of the men's bathroom, and, evidently flustered, went inside. Haruno shooed some guy outside, and went into the stall for handicapped with all of them. When her arms stopped holding Naruto up, he slipped onto the floor, his back against the wall.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" Sakura yelled at him.

"It's my fault," Hinata said softly.

"No, it's not, he's just a fucking man-child who cannot behave himself," the other woman explained calmly.

"Do you need my help?" Sasuke asked, holding a chuckle inside of him. Then he felt grossed out because Naruto quickly got to his knees and started to vomit. The majority of it _did_ land in the toilet, but it also got on his shoes and pants.

"He can't stay in here," Haruno whined. "If you'd just helped me out, I'd take him home," she proposed.

"I can take him home," Hinata suggested. "You're waiting for the big announcement, aren't you?" She asked with a sincere smile on her face.

"How did you know?"

"I work with _Ino_. I know _everything_." Sasuke stared at Hyuuga. Now she seemed more confident, and not so timid. As if she was a completely different person in front of the blond idiot.

"Well… but he's too heavy for you…"

"I can ask Neji for help. He doesn't like parties anyway."

"Yeah, they're too mainstream," Sakura replied with a laugh.

"I'm _not_ going anywhere with Hinata," Naruto stated firmly, his voice echoing in the toilet. The pink-haired woman stared at him, disappointment clearly visible in her green eyes. She mouthed 'I'm sorry,' to Hyuuga whose eyes got teary. The dark-haired woman left the lavatory. Sasuke couldn't help but feel a little bit happy.

"You're literally the worst," Haruno uttered. She didn't get any answer because the blonde was puking again. "Once, just fucking _once_ there's a woman who actually likes you, and you're acting like a colossal dick. Do you actually _want_ to be alone?!"

"No, I don't. I just don't want to be with Hinata."

"What are we doing with him?" Sasuke interrupted the conversation, tired of his colleagues' quarrel.

"Well, he _can't_ stay in here. And it's not like there's anyone beside Hinata who would actually _want_ to take this dipshit home. Kakashi and Sai can't do this because… well… they're both getting promoted, so I guess that we're alone in this. I _would_ do this by myself, but he's too heavy. Sorry, Sasuke."

"Don't worry. But if Kakashi's getting promoted, then you probably want to be there for him. I can deal with this alone."

"That would be sweet of you, but won't it be too troublesome? You said it yourself-you have your own problems," she said calmly and Sasuke could _swear_ that she's hiding something.

"He already puked on my shoes and pants, it's not like I could sit in here anyways, and there's no point in ruining the party for two people."

"Right… so, I'll order you a taxi, and help you get him in it, but then you're on your own."

"That's fine."

* * *

><p>The cab left them in front of Sasuke's home. Uchiha grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him outside of the car, trying to lead him into the house. Some paparazzi started to shoot photos.<p>

"I'll fucking rip you apart if I'll ever see you again!" The blonde yelled at the photographer, who didn't take his drunken threats seriously.

"Great, now they can quote you," Uchiha hissed at the idiot. He wasn't sure _why_ he decided to take Naruto home. He definitely wanted to return the favor, and to take care of him, so he could be _even_ with him. And he didn't want him to be with anyone else.

Sasuke made Naruto shower himself, and put him into his bed, leaving a plastic bowl in case the blonde needed it, and went upstairs to sleep in Itachi's bedroom. He didn't immediately fall asleep, and when he did, it was a rather shallow sleep. He woke up every now and then, hearing Uzumaki moving in his bed downstairs. He never realized how thin the walls were.

When he woke up again, he heard that Naruto was fidgeting _a lot_. Sasuke wondered whether something bad was happening-like the idiot choking on his own vomit. He sighed with irritation and went down. When he got closer to his own bed, he noticed that the blonde was moving in a rather suggestive way, literally humping the sheet beneath him. Uchiha's heart started pounding, and he could hear the blood rushing through his ears. He thought that he should leave immediately, and he even stepped back, but then he heard Uzumaki moan quietly. The brunette could feel his erection throbbing in his pajama bottoms. He grabbed it with his left hand, squeezing it tightly. He _knew_ that it was wrong as hell, but at the same time he felt more aroused than ever. The feel of textile on his penis was adding to his arousal, giving more friction. The blonde breathed heavily and kicked off the bed cover he was sleeping under, lying on his side and facing the brunette. Sasuke could see a huge bulge in Naruto's boxers. It was dark in the room, but Uchiha could swear that he saw a damp spot on Uzumaki's underwear, just where the head of his dick should be. The brunette felt that his knees couldn't support his weight anymore, so he knelt in front of the bed, still masturbating furiously and holding his breath, afraid that otherwise the other man would wake up. The blonde moaned again, and Sasuke fixed his dark eyes on his bulge. It was _throbbing_. Uchiha inhaled louder than he intended to when he saw that the damp patch not only grew bigger, but it was also glistening, and he could even see threads of sperm. _'He came_,_' _he realized, feeling the tension growing in his own cock. He pumped his dick a few more times and received one of the more satisfying orgasms in his life. He panted loudly. Now he also had to change his pants.

"I didn't know you were this kinky," he heard a husky voice coming from the bed. Sasuke got up quickly, feeling more embarrassed than ever. _He had to run away_. "Hey, stop" Naruto whispered, grabbing his wrist and forcefully pulling him into the bed. "I don't mind it, so relax," he assured the other man, hugging him from behind. Uchiha could feel one of his buttocks getting slightly moist. He gulped quietly, not knowing what to do. It was one of the most awkward situations he could imagine. "I mean it, relax. I don't care if you're a little weirdo," Uzumaki mocked the brunette, pinching one of his cheeks. Then he chuckled lightly. "See? I came, you came, and now we're cuddling. It's as normal as they make it." Sasuke cleared his throat.

"I should go change… and you probably should do it, too," he stated, trying to sound normally. Naruto laughed at him again.

"There's no rush," the blonde objected and embraced the other male more tightly. Uchiha could feel Naruto's cold nose at the nape of his neck. It felt weird but also kind of nice. He finally smiled. "Sasuke? I'm not sure whether I'm _in_ love with you, but I know that I love you. I'd kill for you."

"Normal people say 'die'," the brunette noticed lazily, trying to calm down after the idiotic confession. For the first time in forever he felt genuinely happy.

"You'd be sad if I died, and I don't want you to be sad," the blonde replied jokingly. "I was _so_ jealous of Sai today. He seemed so happy with whoever it was, and I had to sit there with Hinata. I couldn't even say that I _kind of_ have someone else."

"You were mean to her," Uchiha said, feeling somewhat guilty.

"I don't care," Naruto answered, grabbing Sasuke's hand. "Whoa, you came a lot."

"..."

"All right, I'll apologize to her," the blonde teased him, addressing the comment that _didn't_ make Uchiha huff with annoyance.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** **Hi there. It's already the 12th chapter, so if you came _this_ far, then you probably already have some opinion about this fic. And I would really love to hear it. Seriously. At first I thought I'm strong, and confident, and whatnot but now my motivation is shrinking. I have literally _no_ idea what you're thinking. So... please? Pretty please?**

**On the side note-I actually adore Ino. So I don't really know why I'm making such a bitch out of her, but hey.**


	6. The Truth

On Monday morning Sasuke was woken up by his phone ringing. When he looked at the screen, he noticed that it was Shikamaru calling. He answered the call and left the bed in which the blonde was still sleeping. Somehow they stayed in there for a whole night and now the brunette felt a little bit gross-his pajama bottoms had a sperm stain both in front and in the back.

"Hello, Sasuke. Can you talk right now?" Nara asked in a professional tone. Uchiha already reached the kitchen and closed its doors behind him. He liked to take all of his phone calls in private.

"Yes, I can. What's the matter?"

"I studied your case, and, since you were as nice to the police as to tell them that the wine was yours, you _could_ be charged with negligent homicide. That would mean five to ten years in jail." The brunette could feel the blood leaving his face.

"...you said it was trivial."

"I thought so at first, but proving that you actually locked up the wine in your room is almost impossible. It will be all up to the juries to decide and it seems that you're not the most popular boy in town."

"Was I already charged?"

"No, but that's what I would do if I were _them_. And that's the worst thing that could happen to you, so we need to think about what we'll do next if that happens. I know that you're working, so I could pick you up during your lunch break somewhere near _Konoha_."

"I'll be there. Is 1 pm all right?"

"Yeah."

"...how much will I have to pay for your help?"

"Right now I'm just returning Naruto a favor, so you don't have to worry about it. I'll tell when I'll start charging you."

"Okay. Thanks."

"See you," Shikamaru said and hung up.

Sasuke massaged his temples. His life was falling apart. _Five to ten years in jail_. That was a lot. He was sure that he left the wine locked up in a cabinet in his room. Nobody had keys to it. That's where he hid everything that wasn't compatible with his public image. And yet the wine found its way to the kitchen. The lock wasn't destroyed, so someone had to actually open it but Sasuke always had his keys on himself. He never really thought about it because he was more focused on the fact that his parents died, but could it be possible that _someone_ had a spare key? And how much did Itachi really know about him? He wouldn't be able to overhear the conversation the younger Uchiha had with his parents-his failed coming out-he wasn't home at the moment. Hell, he wasn't even in the same city. Sasuke also doubted that Fugaku and Minato would talk about _it_ with anyone-they were way too embarrassed about it to ever bring this up in a conversation. The only person that would also know about it was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the brunette's former psychologist, but he would _never_ disclose his patients' secrets to anyone.

"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked in a worried tone.

"No, I'm fine," Sasuke lied.

"You don't look fine."

"It's nothing important. I just forgot to pay one bill, but I'll do it today."

"I can lend you some money if you want," the blonde proposed.

"I don't need it, but thanks."

"Okay… Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to go home, I don't have any clean clothes in here, so… see you at work?"

"I think that I have some old clothes of yours in here somewhere."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you left a lot of things in my house."

"And you kept them?"

"I meant to give them back to you, but I would always forget about it. And then… we just parted our ways, so… anyways, follow me."

"I thought you would throw them away," Uzumaki said with a small smile on his face and went after the brunette. Uchiha couldn't help staring at the blonde's elegantly muscular body and orange boxers with a white stain on them. Then he remembered about his own two stains, and blushed slightly. He was quite thankful that Naruto didn't bring yesterday's incident up. The two reached Sasuke's room, and the brunette opened his dresser. There was a cardboard box inside, and it was signed 'Naruto's stuff.' "That's actually kind of cute," the blonde said grinning.

"I think you'll find something wearable in there. I'll go prepare breakfast."

* * *

><p>It wasn't a busy day in work-Naruto and Sasuke officially learned that Tsunade is retiring after this month, so Kakashi's going to become the next editor-in-chief, and Sai'll take his position as the head of the graphic department. Sai even visited them briefly and jokingly offered Uzumaki the position of his 'very personal assistant.' The blonde declined the offer pretending to be offended. Uchiha watched the whole scene with a faint smile on his lips. He wasn't even sure whether he'll be here next month.<p>

Finally, the clock showed 12:50, so the brunette excused himself and informed his friends (who evidently had silent days due their last argument) that he's going out for the lunch break because he has something important to do. Naruto eyed him suspiciously, but let this slip. Sasuke left the building and headed towards the nearby restaurant in which he and Shikamaru agreed to meet. The place belonged to Choji's father and was quite high end-one of the waitresses led Sasuke into a private room after learning his name. The lawyer was already there.

"Hi," Nara greeted him. "I guess we don't have much time, so I'll try to explain everything to you as fast as possible. I might not be delicate but it shouldn't matter. Look, if they will do what I think they will, then you'll be charged for negligent homicide, so it means that you could spend up to ten years in jail, but, personally, I think that we'll be looking at five. The jury _could_ find you not guilty since there's no proof that you left the wine in open view but there's also no proof that you didn't. If they'll find you guilty we'll appeal but it'll be troublesome. So, do you have any idea how to prove that you actually hid that bottle?"

"...no really, I had the only key which I know about and it was on me the whole time."

"That's bad. And please, don't repeat this ever again. I tried to contact Mr Sarutobi, but he had been dead for the last three months. His son said that there are some patient files _somewhere_, so I hope that I'll be able to reach them. Apart from the gay thing you have no motive which is good. If they'll ever charge you with first- or second degree murder we'll be happy and prepared. And, on the gay thing-you should consider coming out and giving some soppy interviews. You should also show that back of yours. Let's make you into a victim."

"...I'm a victim."

"Sure you are. Now sell it."

"I don't feel comfortable with doing something like this."

"Will you feel comfortable in jail? Because that's where this will take you. The juries should feel bad for you, okay?"

"..."

"Sasuke, look, I wouldn't like this either but you've already become a public persona so that's where you'll live your life now. In public. Make yourself more likable."

"...there's one thing that was bothering me."

"What is it?"

"In _Daily_ _Gossip_ there was an article on me. It said that I was arguing with my parents about being gay."

"What of it?"

"The only people who know about it are you, my parents and Hiruzen."

"Are you sure that they never told anyone?"

"I doubt that my parents would do that, and Hiruzen was my doctor, so he shouldn't do it."

"I'll look into it."

"Thank you. How can I repay you?"

"I already told you that I'm just returning Naruto a favor."

"It had to be pretty big."

"It was," Shikamaru answered, finally smiling. Then his face got all serious again. "Sasuke, start working on making yourself likable. I'd prefer it if we could win this thing just because we're in the right, but there's a possibility that we might end up relying on juries' sympathy."

"I'll think about it."

"All right, it's almost twenty past one, so I'll drive you back to _Konoha_."

* * *

><p>When Sasuke returned from his lunch break, he noticed that Naruto and Sakura were chatting happily, which could mean that they already stopped arguing. He smiled faintly, slightly jealous of their lives.<p>

"What took you so long?" The blonde inquired cheerfully.

"The traffic was pretty heavy," the brunette answered and sat down in front of his computer. He felt sick, but he couldn't skip work again. Especially since it wasn't very stable.

* * *

><p>The day ended, Sasuke was packing his bag, and Naruto tapped him on the shoulder.<p>

"Hey, Kakashi and Sai asked us to go to a pub with them. You know, to celebrate their upcoming promotion," the blonde babbled.

"I'm kind of busy," the brunette lied.

"But it's for tomorrow," Uzumaki replied with an inviting grin on his face. "So, what are you doing today?" He inquired, curiosity clearly visible in his blue eyes.

"Stop being so nosy, Naruto," Sakura complained even before Sasuke had a chance to answer his question. He was quite thankful for it because he didn't know what to say. He didn't even know what to _think_ about his current situation.

"I'm not being nosy," the blonde whined but left Uchiha alone. "Then I guess that we'll see each other tomorrow. But you can always call me, I'm not doing anything particular today," Uzumaki added. It sounded innocent, but Sasuke believed that he knew what was the blonde referring to-that he could call him if he had trouble sleeping again. The brunette blushed, feeling somewhat humiliated. It _was_ possible that he will have to do it again.

* * *

><p>Sasuke finally got home-he didn't bother with checking what the gossip websites and newspapers were writing about him, but now there was only one paparazzi, who looked kind of bored. The brunette went into the house and locked the doors, realizing that this will be the first night he is spending without the blonde idiot. He really hoped that it could stay that way but it also made him feel somewhat sad. He even wondered whether he should invite him here and, perhaps, tell him about everything he learned from Shikamaru but decided that he needs to regain the control over his life on his own.<p>

He headed to Itachi's old room hoping that he could find some clues in there. Sasuke rummaged through his brother's desk finding only some pretty useless stuff. There were some books, old school notebooks, some random papers. Nothing of interest. He started to look through the cabinets but there was nothing there either. The younger Uchiha sighed heavily, and opened the dresser. He could only see some old clothes, nothing particularly interesting. Feeling hopeless, he checked all the pockets, and, when he was close to resigning, he found a bunch of keys. Sasuke's heart started pounding. _Could one of these keys open his cabinet?_ He took all of them with him and ran downstairs, leaping three steps at once.

He knelt in front of the cabinet and started to check the keys. The first one didn't fit. The second one didn't fit either. The third one was way too big. When he put the fourth key into the hole, his heart leapt in chest. It was perfect. He turned it, and, not believing his eyes, realized that the cabinet was now open. Sasuke sat down in front of it and opened its doors with shaking hands, realizing that this action was completely pointless. The cabinet has been empty for years. He grabbed his phone and dialed Shikamaru's number.

"Yeah?" Nara asked in a bored voice.

"I found Itachi's key."

"...that doesn't sound very interesting."

"Itachi's key to my cabinet."

"Oh."

"He had it this whole time. He probably opened it, and…"

"Please, tell me that you didn't touch it."

"..."

"Bloody hell. All right, just put it somewhere and don't touch it again. Perhaps the police will be able to find something."

"Sorry."

"Yeah, you should be. But nevermind it now. I've contacted Mr Sarutobi's son, Asuma, and I'm now reading through your doctor's files. Did you know that your brother was also a patient of his?"

"...what?"  
>"I thought so. It reads here that he was absent at all of his appointments though, so it's not very helpful."<p>

"And what's in my file?"

"Honestly… everything. I didn't know that you were visiting him so long."

"...I guess it was long."

"I'm your lawyer so don't worry about it. There's nothing incriminating in here. I'll have to give it to an expert witness, together with all the tapes, but it starts to look good. And Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Is the press right about you and Naruto?"

"...not really."

"Sorry to hear that."

* * *

><p>"Sorry to hear that," Shikamaru said. Sasuke knew what he meant. There was a time when Naruto was the only topic he would touch on when he was meeting Dr. Sarutobi. In the two years before the internship started and after the brunette's parents' death, he was almost completely silent and would only give one-word answers to Hiruzen's questions.<p>

When he met Uzumaki for the first time, the blonde annoyed the hell out of him. The internship wasn't supposed to be easy to get-he believed himself to be pretty good and he could see why Haruno was chosen-the girl had all of her textbooks memorized by heart. And then there was this idiot. Sure, he could do some basic stuff but he failed miserably whenever he had to do something more sophisticated.

The internship was supposed to last four months and there was also a reward for completing it-two of them would be offered job in _Konoha_. Sasuke immediately realized that it would be him and Sakura because there was no way that the idiot could catch up with them. But, apparently, there was. And it irritated Uchiha even more. Naruto had many faults but he _was_ intelligent and, unlike Sasuke and Sakura, wasn't afraid to ask questions, so even though his road was much more bumpy, he was solving each problem quickly. The three of them would get an assignment every now and then, and the tendency was that Sakura was the first to finish, Sasuke was the best and Naruto the worst, but Uzumaki was getting better with each week passing. After a month and a half he was just as good as Haruno-only slower.

Sasuke didn't understand at first why his psychologist seemed so happy whenever he was complaining about the idiot. Then he noticed that for the first time in two years he was actually invested in something. He also didn't feel as depressed anymore-he had a reason to wake up and go to work every day. And if it was only to show Naruto that there's still a huge gap between them? It didn't really matter.

One month later Dr. Sarutobi started to insinuate that Sasuke might _like_ the annoying blonde, and, what's more, that this was perhaps a beginning of a friendship. The Uchiha would never admit it but he did notice that whenever the _Konoha_ employees would go to a club-and clubs weren't Sasuke's favorite way to spend his free time-Uzumaki would actually _sit_ with him and drink a beer. They wouldn't talk but Uchiha felt less lonely that way-of course there was always Sakura who would impose herself on him every time she would get drunk but this was different. The brunette felt as if the blonde was sitting with him for his sake. He knew that normally Naruto would be dancing but whenever Sasuke decided to go with them, his colleague was always in his booth quietly drinking a beer. It didn't even suit him-he should be loud, obnoxious and all over the place. That way it would be much easier to not like him.

Finally, their internship was ending. And nobody really knew who would get the two positions and who would have to leave. Sakura claimed that it will be her and Sasuke because they were the best but there were people who would say that even though Haruno had the most knowledge she was predictable and kind of boring. Uzumaki's projects were either great or horrible, and when they were great, they were truly magnificent. Uchiha was somewhere in between-he was more knowledgeable than the blonde and more creative than the woman, but he had to admit that the source of his creativity was the blonde. He wanted to be better than him. If his rival wasn't on the team, he would just probably stick with whatever was good enough. At first even admitting that he could see the blue-eyed idiot as a competition would be humiliating because to think that Naruto actually had the chance to surpass him was absurd. But it didn't last long. From the moment Uzumaki catched up to him, Sasuke learned more than during all of his years in college. He would even spend his free time learning and it was the first time since his parents' death that he felt passionate about something.

Their final assignment was pretty big-they had to design the whole layout for _Konoha_'s newest issue. Once again, Sakura was done pretty quickly, and Sasuke and Naruto were staying late in work so they would have a chance of finishing their projects. They wouldn't talk much, the blonde would usually just whine once in a while. It felt strangely reassuring. The deadline was coming closer and they had just two more days to finish. Uchiha was fired up as never, even though he didn't show it because it would make him look undignified. That's when he noticed that the blonde was sick. His blue eyes were teary, there were drops of sweat on his forehead and he would even shake whenever he thought that no one was watching him. The brunette felt disappointed-he wanted to fight Naruto on equal terms, and if the other male wasn't doing his best then Sasuke's victory wouldn't mean much.

On the last day Uzumaki's list of symptoms got even longer. He had nausea, and he was wasting half of his time in the bathroom. Uchiha couldn't help but feel slightly angry at the idiot. Couldn't he just take better care of himself?The evening came, and Sakura left for home, bidding Sasuke goodbye. She completely ignored Naruto, and it got Uchiha even more mad. The two males were left alone in the room. The blonde would leave it every thirty minutes and come back after ten or so. He looked terrible. Around midnight the brunette noticed that Uzumaki fell asleep, his head on the desk. He walked up to him, wanting to wake him up. He grabbed the blonde's shoulders but didn't shake them because he noticed how unnaturally hot they felt. Sasuke put his hand on the other man's forehead. He obviously had a fever, but it was also moist. He sighed with irritation and lifted Naruto, who didn't wake up. His body was pretty heavy and extremely warm. His head landed between Uchiha's shoulder and head, Uzumaki's open lips placed just on the brunette's bare collarbone. The brunette took the man into the break room and laid him on the couch, covering him with his own and Naruto's jacket. Then he went back into the Room 7, and quickly finished his project. Then he approached Uzumaki's computer.

Sasuke didn't even know _why_ he was doing it. The blonde idiot was his competition, he should be happy that he doesn't have to worry about his future, that there's no way that he would be the one to be left without a job. Sakura wouldn't do this. The brunette sighed heavily, disappointed by his own stupidity. And then he started to finish Naruto's project. It was pretty good on its own, and there wasn't much that needed to be done-some fonts didn't work the way they should and some of the margins were fucked up. But that was it. One hour later he was finished and went back into the break room in which the blonde was sleeping deeply. Sasuke smiled to himself and lay down on another sofa.

At 6 am, a security officer woke them up and reprimanded them for staying in the building for the whole night. When the blonde finally realized that it was already morning, he was visibly panicked. He didn't even notice that he had found himself in a location that he himself didn't walk into and that he was sleeping under Sasuke's jacket. Naruto sprinted out of the room, and the Uchiha followed him lazily, mentally laughing at the other man. Then the blonde turned the computer on and, still shaking, opened the file with his project. And then he just stood there with open mouth. The brunette smirked. And then gasped with shock because Naruto hugged him tightly, putting all of his strength into the embrace. Uzumaki thanked him, saying that it was rather unexpected, and Sasuke felt that his cheeks were getting hotter and redder. He just shrugged it off and acted as if nothing abnormal happened.

Dr. Sarutobi liked that story. He was even happier when he learned that eventually all three of them were hired. Uchiha would still talk about the blonde and refer to him as 'that idiot,' but the word got softer, it was almost like a pet name. They became best friends, and Sasuke realized that he never felt as accepted as with Naruto. There were women who were in love with him but they didn't know anything about his quirks. They didn't know the real, imperfect Sasuke. And Uchiha believed that Uzumaki did know him in such a way although they didn't spend their time talking about feelings. They were always supporting each other and they knew that even when they were offending one another they were still best friends.

It was rather natural that after some months Uchiha fell in love with the blonde. And it was a torture. He knew that Uzumaki was straight _and_ had a crush on Sakura, who, in return, developed strong feelings for Sasuke. He was too ashamed to confess and put an end to this, and whenever someone laughed at the two having a bromance, he tried to pretend that it actually makes him furious. It was a torture for him to see Naruto every day, and it was even worse when the blonde was touching him in the most innocent way. He always had to restrain himself from doing more, from holding the other man's hand longer that it was socially acceptable, from hugging, and from kissing him whenever he was drunk.

He would fantasize about him, about having sex with him, about sleeping with him, holding hands, kissing and sometimes he would even mentally confess to Naruto. His imaginary blonde was also in love with him. They would eat breakfasts together, live together, shop together for groceries. He slept with an additional pillow he would either hug or, sometimes, put behind his back and pretend that this time it was he who was hugged from behind. He would put an arm on his own belly and imagine that he was holding a very particular tanned hand.

Dr. Sarutobi knew about this, too. He advised him to tell about his feelings, but Sasuke was way too afraid about losing his one and only friend. Friendship was better than nothing, and he wasn't ready to sever these ties. He thought that the blonde would be disgusted by him anyways, and the sole thought that Naruto might feel grossed out whenever he would touch him was devastating.

After some time Itachi appeared in his life once again. He claimed that half of the house is rightfully his, so if Sasuke wishes to keep it then he should pay for it. The younger Uchiha tried to remind him that he used up all the other money they ever had, and that he said he wasn't interesting in the building but it didn't mean much. The brunette tried to pay off his brother, but it was always not enough. Itachi would show up on his doorsteps, knocking loudly on the doors and yelling that he was cheated by him, and Sasuke would be hiding in his room. His older brother would even send him messages claiming that he's going to ruin his life if he won't get money fast. That's when his contact with Naruto was reduced to common courtesies.

After some months Sasuke was once again feeling like shit, and Dr. Sarutobi was worrying. He advised the younger Uchiha to call the police and say that he was being blackmailed but the brunette was too afraid to do so. It might had not work, and in that case Itachi would be furious. He could even burn the house down just to get the insurance money.

Eventually Sasuke agreed to work for Oto, Orochimaru's modeling agency. There wasn't anything that was keeping him in _Konoha_. Naruto stopped being his friend a long time ago, and his pay wasn't big enough to support him and his brother's needs. As a model he was going to be paid better.

That was his last appointment with Dr. Sarutobi. The psychologist tried to make him swear that he would at least call him every now and then, and he claimed that he didn't want any money for that, but Sasuke was already broken at that point. He wasn't really interested in living. He didn't want to kill himself but he wouldn't mind dying either.

* * *

><p>Sasuke, Naruto, Sai and Kakashi were sitting in a pub, each drinking his own beer. The evening was pretty nice but the blonde could see that it was also kind of awkward. Actually, this whole day was awkward. He showed up at Sasuke's doors in the morning, saying that he wanted to drive him to work but in reality he was just freaking out about the fact that the brunette didn't talk to him. He wondered whether it was caused by what happened after the Halloween party-he couldn't even <em>name<em> what they did, it was random, weird, and, at least for Uzumaki, very erotic. He never suspected Uchiha to just start masturbating in front of him-even if the other man thought that the blonde was asleep. It was so unlike him. When Sasuke finally opened his doors, he looked tired. He was mildly surprised by the fact that Naruto was there but he just accepted his shitty explanation and didn't even question him about the fact that they were living in two different parts of the city.

The day at work was also rather quiet. Neji started photographing again, and Sakura was watching Naruto all day long, evidently waiting for him to go the photographer's studio and look for the sad crying models. He didn't do it. He and Sasuke were… he didn't know _what_ they were but he was damn sure that even when they weren't exactly exclusive, he shouldn't just go around fucking other people. He didn't even feel like it. Whenever he thought about Hinata, he was always sure that he couldn't abandon his lifestyle for her but with him it was easier. He knew Sasuke and he cared about him. Even if Uchiha and Hyuuga had basically the same flaws-they had to be dated and they were both virgins. Naruto smiled to himself. Then he noticed that Sai was touching him _a lot_.

At first it didn't bother him because he was generally touchy but today it was much more than usually. Normally Sai would just pat him on the head every once in a while or do something ridiculously obscene just to make Naruto flustered but now it wasn't like this. The brunette, the future head of the graphic department, had been resting his arm on him throughout the evening and now he was also playing with the blonde's hair. Uzumaki wasn't sure whether it would bother him as much if it wasn't for Sasuke-probably not. But now the other brunette, who was sitting just the opposite of him, kept his eyes fixed on Sai's hand and didn't say a word from the moment it touched the blond mop. Naruto cleared his throat.

"I'm gonna get another beer. Do you want one too?" He asked and stood up, freeing himself from the pale fingers.

"Yup," said Kakashi who had a huge grin on his face. Somehow, it seemed extremely fake.

"I want one," Sasuke muttered, resting his head on arm. He looked even more tired now and Naruto felt guilty for making him come here.

"I'll go with you and help you bring it here," Sai chirped and Uzumaki sighed internally. Uchiha frowned almost unnoticably, and the blonde cursed himself for the fact that he could ever think that coming here was a good idea. It was a terrible one. Hatake seemed to be pretending that he had a good time, Sasuke looked angry and was drinking more than usually, and Sai was… well, himself. Which wasn't a bad thing but Naruto was so used to thinking about himself as a straight guy that he never paid much attention to what exactly was he doing with other men. He wasn't even completely sure whether he could call himself a fully fledged bisexual. Perhaps it was just Sasuke he had hots for.

The blonde headed towards the bar where he asked for four beers. The bartender started pouring them. Sai stood right next to Uzumaki, looking serious and completely uninterested in him.

"Are you and Sasuke together?" He asked in a bored tone. Naruto coughed with embarrassment.

"No, we're not."

"Then why is he so angry whenever I'm touching you?" Sai asked, clearly amused.

"Probably he's just tired," the blonde lied. "He didn't really want to be here."

"No wonder. He wasn't here for four years so it's kind of strange to expect him to act as if he was."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I get it, guys' night out and all, but it would be better without him." Naruto looked at the brunette, slowly digesting what he was saying. Was it possible that he was the only one who didn't care about those four years? "You see, me, you, Kakashi, Sakura-we're friends. _Real_ friends. We have been here for each other all this time. He's someone that you used to like when you were younger and you're probably feeling bad for him because of all this murder crap but, you know, he was able to survive through these four years without you and he's able to do it now. You're probably just messing with his head."  
>"So you're saying that I should ignore him?" The blonde inquired, feeling angry.<p>

"It would probably be for the best."

Naruto wanted to quarrel with him but the bartender put the beers on the counter and they had to go back to the table where Kakashi and Sasuke were talking about something. They stopped the moment they saw the other two men so it had to be something private. The whole meeting became even more awkward when Hatake drank his beer in one gulp and told Sai to hurry up because he wants to go home. Sai looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face but followed this strange order. The two walked out of the bar and Naruto and Sasuke still had their glasses at least half-full.

"What's wrong with them?" Uzumaki asked smiling unconvincingly at the other man.

"Kakashi asked about us," the brunette stated calmly and looked Naruto into the eyes, as if trying to read his mind.

"And what did you tell him?" The blonde inquired, expecting the same answer he gave to Sai.

"The truth," Uchiha answered.

"Which is?" Uzumaki questioned, hoping that he will not hear that it's nothing.

"I don't know."

"And you told him that you don't know?" It was better than 'nothing,' it implied that there could be something.

"Yeah. Then he asked me how's the whole murder thing going."

"And?"

"I also told him the truth. I don't know if I'll be able to work in _Konoha_ for very long."

"...why?" Naruto asked, feeling as if all of his blood was slowly freezing, small needles of ice stabbing him through veins.

"I might go to jail, Naruto," the brunette said, evidently trying to keep his composure intact.

"...for how long?"

"Shikamaru said five to ten years."

The blonde looked at the other man, wondering how did he manage to know all of this and still come to this shitty meeting. He couldn't understand _how_ exactly was Sasuke able to act as if nothing was happening. He cursed himself for being so stupid.

"We should finish this conversation somewhere else," Uzumaki whispered softly, trying to grab the pale hand that was playing with a white paper napkin. The hand escaped before he was able to reach it.

"We should forget about it all," Sasuke muttered and Naruto could swear that the black eyes welled up with tears.

"Why would you say that?"

"I'm a lost cause," he stated simply.

"You're not. And I'm not going to leave you alone. Let's go to my place."

Uchiha didn't fight him and just followed him but he looked as if he was ready to die. It hurt Naruto to see his friend in this state. It hurt him even more to think that there was nothing he could do to actually help. He felt completely helpless and hopeless. It was difficult to breathe, he was scared. They finally reached Naruto's flat, and when they came inside Sasuke sat on the couch making enough place for the blonde to sit next to him.

"So… what are your charges?" Uzumaki asked in a small voice, and the brunette just looked at him.

"Right now there are none but Shikamaru said that negligent homicide is the most plausible scenario."

"...what does it mean?"

"It means that I'm fucked because I can't prove that I locked a fucking cabinet."

"Did Shikamaru said that?"

"...no. He said that we'd appeal. And that I could be found not guilty but it's all up to the juries."

"So it's not as bad, right?" Naruto inquired not sure whether he was trying to comfort himself or Sasuke.

"I don't know, it's not my thing."

"Shikamaru's good in what he's doing." Uzumaki said hoping that it will reassure the both of them.

"...why is he even doing this?" Uchiha whispered, covering his eyelids with fingertips.

"Because I asked him to," the blonde replied and decided that perhaps this time Sasuke won't try to avoid his touch so he gently grabbed his shoulder, which was a pretty neutral zone. The brunette didn't squirm, so the blonde pulled him closer and embraced him delicately, as if he was going to get broken if Naruto wasn't careful enough. "Did he say something more?"

"... I found out that Itachi had a key to my cabinet," Sasuke uttered under his breath as if he was hoping that it will not be heard.

"So you're thinking that he did _that_ on purpose?"

"...I don't know. He could've… but they loved him so much."

"..."

"He was their perfect son. My father was always so fucking proud of him that I actually wanted to be Itachi."

"Sasuke, you…"

"And you know, they could be still alive if I wasn't fucked up."

"...you're not fucked up."

"I am. I was visiting a god damn shrink for like six years. Normal people don't do that," Sasuke said, his voice breaking. "I'm so fucking tired, Naruto. You should just quit."

"I'm not quitting. Never," Uzumaki said, for the first time during this conversation knowing for sure that he meant what he was saying. "You're my friend, and I'm not leaving you alone."

"You can just fuck me if that's what you're after," Uchiha said in a small voice, clearly close to tears.

"Don't you ever again insinuate that I would do this. I might not be perfect but I've never had sex with someone who didn't want it just as much as I did. _And_ I'm not interested in fucking you like this."

"Well I don't want to die as a virgin," the brunette almost shouted. His head was resting on Naruto's shoulders and the blonde could feel his hot breath on his neck.

"_Who_ told you that you're going to die?" Uzumaki inquired shocked. He didn't even know _what_ was happening right now.

"I'm _not_ going to prison."

"That's right, you're not. I trust Nara, all right? I know that you're his top priority right now and that he wouldn't fuck this up, so _please_, be reasonable. And I remember you telling me that you're _not_ going to die. You fucking promised me that. Shikamaru's going to fix it."

"How can you fucking know that?!"

"He owes me a pretty big favor, okay? And normally I wouldn't even use this shit but since it's actually needed I just did."

"...what did you do?" Sasuke inquired impatiently.

"...I paid for his law school. He paid me back some years after that, but he also said that if I'll ever need his help I should just ask, and he'll drop everything and do this. So I'm sure that he's going to fix it."

"Where did you get the money for that?" The brunette asked not even trying to hide how shocked he was. Naruto looked at the black hair which were tickling his nose and started to caress Sasuke's back in a soothing manner.

"You remember Jiraiya?"

"Editor-in-chief of _Icha Icha Paradise_?"

"Yeah. He was my father's professor, and, later on, co-worker. They were very good friends back in the days but then there was this accident, and… you know. Anyways. Some years later, when I was already eighteen, Jiraiya found me. He didn't have any kids of his own, and I learned that he stopped teaching some time after my parents died, and he was the editor-in-chief of that porn magazine. My, I'm straying from the topic," Naruto said and laughed. He was never good with talking about emotional topics and his parents' death was one. "So, he _kind of_ adopted me. He paid for my education-and I have to tell you that orphans aren't getting the best one there is, so I had to catch up to the other kids, but I was able to do it. And, anyways. He's sending me some money every month. When he did it for the first time, I spend it all in one day," the blonde grinned when he noticed that the black eyes were watching him attentively. "But I saved every other bit he send me because I realized that it would be much more responsible of me. That's why I was able to pay for Shikamaru's tuition. Of course _I_ was the one, who proposed him that, he would never ask me to do it. He didn't even want to accept it but I was able to talk him into that."

"I always assumed that you didn't know anything about your parents," Sasuke said quietly.

"You never asked," Naruto noticed but then he realized that it sounded as if he was reproaching the other man. "But there's not much to be said. I never knew them, I just know what Jiraiya told me," the blonde said and stroked Uchiha's back in a comforting way. He was glad that the brunette seemed to calm down, at least for now. He didn't really solve his problems, he just distracted him, but… it worked for now. Sasuke hissed with pain and Naruto looked at him apologetically. "What are those things on your torso?" He asked before he could think whether it was a good idea.

"...scars."

"What happened?"

"Itachi poured some acid on me. That's why he's in the asylum right now."

"...oh." The blonde said. He felt anger overcoming him. He could fucking kill the other Uchiha for making his friend suffer so much. "Do they hurt you?"

"Sometimes. They look worse than they're."  
>"...I've seen them just once, and it was pretty brief, but I don't think that they look so bad," Naruto stated in a soft voice. He wasn't certain whether these words would mean anything to the brunette, but he knew that Sasuke was quite self-conscious about his looks.<p>

"You don't have to say that."

"I mean it."

"I've already heard that I'm rotting on the outside."

"May I see them again?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: One of the guest reviewers (I wish you were all logged in so I could send you a pm ;)) said something about Naruto's height-that he would be 6ft tall if it wasn't for ramen, etc. I'm not entirely sure whether there's any correlation-and whether the said guest reviewer would even see this note because it was a review to chap.2, but there are two things I wanted to clarify.**

**a) in one point of the story I wrote that Naruto's height was average and that Sasuke was 15 cm taller-for me average means ~180cm. So that's more or less 6ft ;) And I believe that I'm not making Sasuke freakishly tall-it's a pretty normal height :D (at least where I come from :D). Of course-if you want them to be shorter or taller-be my guest, I don't mind it. It's just how I see them ;)**

**b) the other thing is-I probably _should_ use these feet and inches all the other stuff, but, first of all, children of the revolution use metric system, and, for the second reason... no, there's no other reason. I'm sorry. I hope that it doesn't bother you as much-especially since I used it only two times.**

**So-review if you can ;) The next chapter should be uploaded pretty soon.**

**Dear Guest Reviewer:** **I'm hopeless when it comes to writing a summary :D I always feel as if I'm giving too much spoilers (and hey, I _do_ realize that you probably can guess what's happening and what will happen later on, I'm leaving all these poorly hidden clues on purpose but it's kind of weird when you're just stating that 'oh well, in the next chapter your beloved character will die' (it's just an example, of course :D). And, you know, I think that I'm actually getting quite decent amount of hits-it's just that the people don't want to comment :(**


	7. Diagnosis

"May I see them again?" Naruto asked. He could feel Uchiha snort into his neck, as if it didn't matter. The brunette straightened up and took off his long-sleeve. The blonde saw his milk-white chest, flat stomach with some muscles showing, protruding hip bones, small belly button. His figure was marvelous, and his skin… he could clearly see that it used to be perfect. Some of it was still intact and it was visibly smooth. The other part was dark, and when looked at from up close, it was clearly uneven and it must had been rough in touch. The blonde poked one of the blots with his finger-it was somewhat harder than the rest of Sasuke. "They're not as bad as you're portraying them to be," he murmured but he could see that Uchiha was not convinced.

"They're hideous," he stated simply and put on his shirt, covering himself again. "But at least they got Itachi into the asylum and I bet that he's hating every second of his stay there."

"They're not," Naruto assured the other man. He kind of meant it. The scars weren't pretty but Sasuke had a perfect body-he was lean, tall and his features were hard enough to highlight the fact that he was indeed a man. It wasn't always so with male models. They were usually either well-sculpted or so soft that they could be mistaken for a female. Sasuke was neither. Therefore those dark blots couldn't obscure his beauty.

Uzumaki generally preferred women-he liked the fact that they were soft in places where he wasn't. He liked full thighs, big butts and tits. It wasn't very common for a model to have these features but the ones rejected by Neji usually had at least one of them. He wasn't completely sure why was he so drawn to Sasuke-he could, of course, say which of his male friends were or weren't handsome but he never felt a need to fuck one of them. He wasn't exactly repelled by the thought, he felt the same thing to some women-they were cute, sweet and totally unfuckable.

He wasn't also sure _what_ exactly was he feeling. He told Sasuke that he loved him and he didn't lie, he did love him. He would jump into a fire just to prove it, and he was sure that the brunette was one of the most precious and important people in his life. It wouldn't be like this if he didn't meet him. He was the reason why he was able to stay in _Konoha_, he was the first person he could call a friend, and he was probably the only one he felt responsible for. Naruto could remember his crush on Sakura-he would fantasize about them hooking up and confessing their undying love to one another but that was it. With Sasuke… he didn't know what it was.

Uzumaki was used to being alone. He didn't had any friends before Uchiha-in the orphanage he didn't socialize with other kids more than he had to, and in his adult life he was still more or less lonely. He had some friends now, but he was never able to expose all of his emotions to them. He was afraid that he would lose them if they didn't like something about him.

"Sasuke," Naruto started. He hesitated for a moment and then went on. "I want you to know that there isn't a thing about which you couldn't talk with me. And that I'll always have time for you. I'm not perfect and I may fuck up every once in a while but it doesn't change the fact that we're friends, and that you're very important to me. And also-you don't look hideous, you're way too handsome for that."

Uchiha didn't really respond to that. Instead, he straightened up and sat on the other end of the couch. The touching part was apparently over. The blonde frowned internally. His arms felt empty.

"Shikamaru said that I should show the stains to the world. That it could make the juries more sympathetic," he said quietly, carefully weighing every word.

"And I guess that you don't want to do that."

"I don't."  
>"I get it," Naruto whispered and reached for the pale hand that was resting on the back of the couch. It didn't move when he touched it and intertwined his fingers with Sasuke's. The hand was cold and strong.<p>

"Shikamaru thinks I'm an idiot for not wanting to do that," the brunette added.

"Well, I think that he wouldn't ask you for it if it wasn't needed so you probably _should_ do it. But I can understand why you don't want to," the blonde explained and Uchiha frowned, clearly not expecting this answer.

"He also said that I should come out."

"The world is probably far more understanding than you are," Naruto noticed and smiled at the other man.

"Right, as if you could know it."

"Look, if you want to, you can record me sucking your dick and send it to Ino," the blonde proposed with a huge grin on his face.

"...why to Ino?" Sasuke asked, his cheeks tinted red.

"It's cheaper than 'send to all,' dummy."

The brunette chuckled unwillingly, his face still blushed. He didn't look so stressed anymore.

"That's workplace harassment."

"My face isn't this ugly," the blonde shouted, pretending to be offended.

"It's not," Uchiha agreed and Naruto beamed at him because the other man clearly didn't intend to say it out loud. He was covering his mouth with hand, as if wishing he didn't say anything. Then he relaxed, accepting the fact that he just paid almost-a-compliment to the blonde. "Would you do it, though?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"Do what?"

"Go down on me."

Naruto eyed the other man, feeling flustered. He was joking just now but… at first he thought that if this whole thing with Sasuke worked out it would be him fucking the brunette, and, generally speaking, that nothing would really change in his sexlife. After some time it hit him that it will have to be different now. That there _is_ a possibility that he'll get fucked too. And that the chances of that happening are pretty high. He was able to accept this piece of information but he wasn't sure whether he could put it to life right now. He didn't even touch Uchiha's penis yet.

"Do you want me to?" He asked, hoping that it will scare the other male.

"What if I did?" Sasuke smirked at the blonde, and Naruto couldn't help but smile at him. This is how he remembered his friend. He gladly accepted his weaker side but he mostly liked him for _this_ part of his personality. The dickish one. He was probably some kind of a masochist.

"I'm not sure whether I want the whole world to see it," he replied after a while. The brunette eyed him in a nasty way.

"And yet you're taunting me to come out," he stated with a victorious smile glued to his face.

"But I _would_ do it. And I wouldn't be ashamed about _telling_ everyone that I did it. Are you happy now?" The blonde inquired, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Uchiha stared at him, his lips slightly spread apart. Naruto grinned mischieviously, realizing that now it was _him_ who had the upper hand.

"Then do it," Sasuke finally uttered, challenging the other male with his stare.

"I'm not your bitch," Uzumaki opposed. The brunette looked at him as if he wanted to say something but before he was able to do it, a phone rang.

"It's Sakura," the blonde explained and answered the call.

"Hi there," the woman said. She seemed tense.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Everything's good. What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"I have to talk to you. Is Sasuke still with you?"

"What's wrong?"

"Is he?"

"Yeah, why?" Naruto inquired, smiling apologetically at the brunette who apparently couldn't hear what Sakura was saying.

"Then go into another room," she ordered him, and he obeyed, shrugging his shoulders at Uchiha who eyed him quizzically.

"Done. What do you want?" He asked, wondering what was going on.

"Naruto, Kakashi came home, and he apparently spoke with Sasuke about, well, you _and_ him," she whispered dramatically, as if she was thinking that Uchiha could overhear _her_.

"So what?" He inquired nonchalantly, mentally slapping his new editor-in-chief for being a blabbermouth.

"I don't think you understand it," she stated knowingly.

"Well, I probably don't. What did he tell you?"

"Well… how do I put it… I think that Sasuke might _feel_ something for you."

"That's sweet of him," the blonde laughed at her.

"Ugh, stop being so stupid. Like _romantically_."

"That's even sweeter." He loved teasing her.

"You still don't get it, do you?" She asked, clearly angry about something.

"No, I don't," Naruto replied.

"He's not as chilled out as you when it comes to these things. And I know that you're probably thinking that you're being a good friend and all, but giving him false hope isn't the best thing to do right now. What will you do if he, I don't know, confesses to you and you'll have to reject him?"

"You're reading way too much shojo manga," Uzumaki answered, hoping that she'll drop the topic. He would love to tell her that he wouldn't mind Sasuke _confessing_ to him, even though even the sole idea of Uchiha doing that made him laugh hysterically, but he wasn't sure whether the brunette wouldn't get angry at him for telling her that. Naruto knew Sakura pretty well, and he was sure that she wasn't able to hold grudge for very long.

"I still hate you for what you did to poor Hinata," Haruno growled at him and he could hear Kakashi's laugh in the background. _Great, so he's there too._ "And I know that _some time ago_ I wasn't Sasuke's best friend but I will fucking kill you if you don't fix this."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Tell him that you're straight. I tried to imply it to him before but he _might_ be just as dense as you are."  
>"So that's why you pulled Hinata into this crap?" He asked, wondering whether his friend would be able to act like a colossal bitch just to portray Naruto as the most heterosexual man ever.<p>

"No, of course not. I sincerely believed that you grew up. I could've just call one of your _girlfriends_ if I wanted you to go with any girl. Or ask Ino to do it."

"How come you have their phone numbers and I don't?" The blonde wondered. "Wait, Ino would actually go out with me?"

"Don't get your hopes up, she would do it for _me_. And I happen to have a _friend_ who has an access to models' phone numbers, dimwit."

"Oh, right."

"Don't stray from the main subject. You have to tell Sasuke that you're straight. End of topic."

"What if I wasn't?" Naruto asked in a small voice. There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line. The blonde could feel his anxiety growing. _Technically_, he wasn't breaking the promise he made to the brunette. Uchiha never said that the blonde couldn't tell the world that _he_ wasn't as straight as everyone believed him to be.

"If you wasn't what?" Sakura finally inquired.

"If I wasn't completely straight?"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Haruno yelled at him so loud that he had to put the phone away from his ear. "Can't you just go through your experimentation phase with someone more like you?"

"More like me?" The blonde questioned, feeling slightly offended. "And hey, how do you know that it's some experimentation phase?!"

"Even if it wasn't-wait, are you serious?"

"I think so, yeah," he replied.

"_Really_ serious?"

"Yup."

"Sasuke's still out of the question for you," she growled at him but it sounded more friendly than she probably intended it to be.

"But _mom_…"

"I mean it. If I'll ever see him brokenhearted because of you, you're in big trouble."

"I've never said it was Sasuke. He could be the one who's straight, you know," he said, wondering whether he'll be able to fool her. Probably not.

"Yeah, _right_."

Naruto sighed, not knowing what to say.

"You have to promise me that you won't tell anybody," he whispered into the phone.

"About you?" She asked surprised.

"No, about him. He's not feeling too well with it."

"What made you think that I would tell anybody about him? And I won't say anything about you either-you're a package deal now."

"Thanks."

"You're my friend, Naruto," she stated. "And you'll be my dead friend if you'll fuck this up."

"But-nevertheless-a friend," he noticed grinning.

"Whatever. See you tomorrow."

"See you."

The blonde disconnected and walked back into his living room. Sasuke was still sitting on the couch.

"What was that all about?" He asked, trying to look all I-don't-give-a-damn.

"Sakura was worrying that I'll break your heart when you'll confess to me because I'm so straight," he answered, enjoying all the shades of red appearing on Uchiha's normally pale face.

"And… what did you tell her?"

"That Sai made me realize that I've always been gay."

"I'm serious," the brunette hissed.

"Sasuke, look, she's not stupid, all right? But you don't have to worry, she's totally cool with it."

"You _promised_ me something."

"Yeah, I've never told her that you're gay. I told her that I'm not _so_ straight."

"Then how would she know about you and me?"

"You spoke with Kakashi, so that's completely your fault."

"...what?"

"Yeah, they're like connected vessels right now. And, anyways, it's not like she's going to tell anyone else about it."

"How do you know?" Uchiha inquired looking somewhat insecure.

"She still likes you," the blonde stated simply and patted Sasuke on the shoulder.

"She doesn't have any reason to like me."

"Not everyone's a dick."

* * *

><p>Sasuke stared at Naruto, feeling rather uncertain about the idea that not everyone's a dick. The blonde smiled at him and ruffled his hair, which made Uchiha snort with annoyance. He still felt rejected after Uzumaki said that he's not his bitch. The brunette himself didn't really understand <em>why<em> would it make him a bitch, and why exactly was he treated worse than those random women but he didn't feel like discussing it now. He felt kind of envious about the fact that the blonde didn't seem to have any problems with accepting his not-so-straightness or however he wanted to call it. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he _could_ have a normal life if he wanted too. But, then again, why would he choose to mingle with the Uchiha?

"Sasuke?" Uzumaki asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah?"

"You said you were visiting a psychiatrist for six years… were you ever diagnosed with anything?"

"I was," he answered, hoping that the blonde will get the hint and drop the topic right there.

"With what?"

Sasuke sighed heavily, and decided that it's not like there'll ever be a _good_ moment to have this conversation. And it would probably hurt less if Naruto was to decide that he didn't want to have anything to do with Uchiha right now, and not… later.

"Mostly panic disorder but there was also GDA, depression, PTSD, and some OCD," he listed, trying to hide how anxious he was right now.

"...that's a lot of letters," the blonde whispered and reached for Sasuke's hand. The brunette took it gladly, his grip possibly too tight.

"It's not very severe, though," he added, trying to explain himself. He couldn't force himself to look into the blue eyes. "And some of it is already past, so..."

"I don't mind it," Naruto interrupted him and kissed him on the cheek. Uchiha stared at him, his black eyes wide open. The blonde's lips were warm and pleasantly dry. He could still feel the aftertouch. It was the first time Uzumaki initiated anything-Sasuke was generally grateful for the fact that the blonde didn't push him but, at the same time, somewhat sad that the man didn't seem to be fighting himself while acting like a gentleman. He wanted to be desired.

Uchiha leaned against the back of the couch and pulled Naruto closer to himself, making the man lose his balance and land on him ungracefully. Uzumaki was startled at first, but he relaxed when Sasuke kissed him on the lips, and, later on, on the neck what made the blonde shy away. The brunette climbed on Naruto's lap, facing him. The man eyed him calmly, waiting for him to take an action. He grabbed one of the tanned hands, and brushed his lips against its underside. The other tanned hand appeared near his ass, stroking it firmly. He could feel his erection growing, and his breath getting faster. Naruto's face was also flushed, his chest was moving heavily, and Sasuke could swear that the man's pants were getting a little bit too tight in the crotch area.

"What are you doing?" The blonde finally inquired, his voice deeper than usually. Some of the words sounded as if the man just finished a marathon.

"What does it look like?" The brunette snorted out in an answer.

"As if you wanted to be fucked."

"Fine by me."

"I'm not going to do this," Uzumaki said confidently, evidently fighting with himself.

"Why not?"

"It's only the ninth day since you came back to _Konoha_. You'll regret this."

"I'm an adult."

"I'm one too. I don't even know how gay sex works, to be honest. I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm not made of glass," Uchiha objected, feeling waves of embarrassment flowing over him. He wished for the earth to swallow him just right there and then. It was way too humiliating.

"I can suck you off if you want to," Naruto offered, a small smile on his face.

"..."

"That way you'll have to only accept the fact that I had your dick in my mouth, and not that I had my dick in your ass."

"You've just said that you're not my bitch," Sasuke noticed.

"Well, I'm not going to give you a blowjob _every_ time you ask for it. But this time I'm offering. So make up your mind."

"...what about you?" Uchiha asked uncertain.

"I'll just use my hand. I don't want you to flip out," the blue-eyed man said grinning. The brunette felt somewhat offended-if the idiot could live with _this_ than he shouldn't be worse than him.

"I'm not going to flip out," he uttered.

"Yeah, right," Naruto replied and lifted the other man, making him sit on the couch again. Then he kneeled on the wooden floor in front of the brunette. He put both of his hands on Sasuke's knees, squeezing them lightly. "So, what is it?"

"...it's weird when you're talking so much about it," Uchiha complained, unable to look into the blue eyes.

"I'll shut up, then," the blonde answered and unbuttoned Sasuke's pants, then unzipped them and pulled them down, nonverbally communicating the other man to lift his ass.

The brunette watched his every move with growing anticipation. He was now wearing just his boxer shorts and the shirt. One moment later the boxers were gone too, and Naruto was kneeling in front of him, suspiciously eying Uchiha's member. The blue eyes grew wider when Sasuke made his penis twitch, but the man finally inhaled deeply and embraced the base of the black-eyed man's length with his right hand-at first delicately, as if he was afraid that he might break it, and then his grip became stronger and tighter.

"You don't know what the hell you're doing," Uchiha realized, and smirked at the other man.

"Shut up," the blonde ordered sheepishly.

He moved his hand up and down, observing how the foreskin was almost covering the head of Uchiha's cock every time it would go up, and how it would reveal its shameful redness whenever it went down.

Naruto's head got closer, his mouth partially open, and Sasuke could feel hot breath brushing against the thin skin. He tried to not close his eyes for even one second, wanting to remember every little detail. Finally, the pinkish lips engulfed the tip of the penis, and Uchiha wasn't quite ready for this experience-his member was surrounded by soft and wet inner walls of the blonde's cheeks, and he could also feel a strong tongue swirling wildly around the glans, it's somewhat even surface rubbing against it. Then Uzumaki tried to take in more of Uchiha's member, slightly gagged on it, retracted some of it, and looked at the other man, daring him to make a comment about it. He helped himself with the hand, and the saliva which was escaping from his hot mouth covered all of the penis, making it slippery.

Sasuke started to pant, his blood jostling through his veins. He could feel the tension in his penis growing up to the point when it became almost painful. He put his left hand in the blond mop of hair, evening out the rhythm, and making the experience even more pleasurable. Then he couldn't take it no more, and released the pressure that was building up inside of him. He came into Uzumaki's mouth and on his face because the blonde backed his head wildly when he felt the first portion of semen hitting the back of his throat and sliding onto his tongue.

The sperm landed in the golden hair and was dangling on one of the many strands. Some of it ended up on Naruto's cheek, and Uchiha leaned forward and licked it off, making the blonde laugh with embarrassment. The semen had a bitter aftertaste.

"So, what about you?" Sasuke asked in a soft voice, feeling relaxed. His thigh was twitching uncontrollably. Naruto raised his left hand, which was also covered in sperm. The brunette shot quizzical look at the other man.

"I guess that we kind of came together," the blonde grinned at him.

"When did you…" Uchiha stopped mid-sentence, deciding that it didn't really matter. He stood up, put on his boxers and pants, making himself feel way more dignified. Naruto wiped his face with a sleeve, and sat back on the couch.

"How was it?" He finally asked and smiled sheepishly.

"The worst one I had," Sasuke answered in a serious voice and looked at the other man from the corner of his eye. The blonde frowned, ready to go into the defence. "And also the best one, I guess," he added, grabbed tanned hand and squeezed it in a reassuring manner.

"You're a jerk," Uzumaki decided and pulled the other male towards him so he could embrace him. The brunette got tense in the hug, but after a moment he sighed and surrendered to it, almost melting into the other man. He could hear his heart beat steadily, and the warmness of Naruto's body almost lulled him into sleep. He didn't feel this peaceful in ages.

"We should go to sleep," the blonde murmured, evidently too lazy to actually get up.

"I have to go to home," Uchiha complained and unwrapped himself from Naruto's arms.

"Just stay here," he proposed.

"I can't spend every single night with you," the brunette explained patiently.

"Why not?" The blonde inquired and the black-eyed man didn't know what to say. "I'll get you to your house before the work starts so you'll be able to get your clothes and everything."

"...why do you even want me to stay?"

"I like having breakfasts with you," Uzumaki answered, strangely happy. Uchiha stared at him for a moment-perhaps the blonde felt just as lonely as he did.

* * *

><p>On the next morning Naruto woke up to Sasuke's phone ringing. The brunette got up, mumbling angrily, and the blonde looked at a watch-it was 6 am. He watched the other man leave the bedroom and close the doors behind him. It somewhat hurt Uzumaki that Uchiha always had to take his calls in an empty room but he could understand it. He gave him some time, feeling the sheet next to him getting colder with every moment Sasuke wasn't there. After fifteen minutes or so he also walked into the kitchen, where he found the other man sitting at the table and breathing frantically. He could see the panic growing in the black eyes. Naruto opened the window, wanting to let some air into the room and he approached Uchiha, delicately grabbing him by the shoulders.<p>

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked. The brunette raised his head, looked somewhere behind him, yelped uncontrollably and got to the floor, as if hiding from something. Uzumaki looked over his shoulder but he didn't see anything disturbing. He sat next to Uchiha, who was squatting, his head pressing against his knees, his hands covering his ears. "Do you want me to do something?" Naruto inquired in a soft voice.

"...close the window," he whispered. The joints of his fingers were almost completely white. Uzumaki got up and obeyed the request. Then he returned to his place on the floor and tried to embrace the trembling man who shook his hands off him. The blonde decided to wait it out.

After an hour Naruto could notice that the brunette's body wasn't so tense anymore, so he tried to hug him again. This time Sasuke didn't fight it.

"What's going on?" The blonde inquired quietly.

"I'm sorry," Uchiha answered.

"There's no need to be," he replied and delicately stroked the black hair. He wondered how often did the brunette had to be like this before and whether he was always so alone in this. "Was it about the call?"

"...yeah."

"Who called you?"

"Shikamaru. I'm being officially charged with negligent homicide."

"...I see," Naruto replied, feeling the blood leaving his face. He actually felt like panicking too, but it would probably made the situation even worse. He swallowed his fear and returned to the conversation, trying to comfort the other man. "What about Itachi's keys?"

"They're completely useless. I've found them, they're in this house, and they've got my fingerprints on them, so there's no way of proving that they belonged to him. It's all circumstantial."

"...all right. But they'll also have to prove that you did it. What did Shikamaru say?"

"...he said that I'll be fine."

"He wouldn't lie to you. You'll have to trust him."

"..."

"Sasuke?"

"Yes?"

"...I think that you should return to visiting a psychiatrist," Naruto mumbled. He felt kind of guilty when he was saying that.

"I'm not mental!" Sasuke yelled at him, visibly offended. "I'm past that, I'm normal now."

"I'm not saying that you're not normal, it's just… there's a lot of things going on in your life right now and anyone would feel lost."

"I'm not fucking lost."

"...all right."

"We should get ready for work," the brunette muttered and got up. The blonde stayed where he was, sitting on the floor and looking at the other man quizzically.

"We should move in together," Naruto decided.

"I'm not moving in with you only because you believe that I can't do shit on my own."

"You can, but you don't have to."

"I'm used to being alone. I'll manage. Now drive me home, I'm tired of this."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey, I can understand that the fact that not everything is identical with canon might be bothering you but it _is_ an AU, and I've never even thought that the characters' height would be so important. Now I know that I shouldn't have mentioned it. I still hope that your reading experience isn't ruined ;)**


	8. Coming Out

Naruto drove Sasuke to his house. The frontyard was swarming with news reporters.

"Oh great," the brunette complained and cursed under his breath. He looked at the blonde sharply and deeply inhaled. "Do you still want to be my boyfriend?" He asked, and Naruto just stared at him dumbfounded.

"Well, yeah, you want me to drive away?" Uzumaki inquired carefully.

"_No_. Let's go out."

The blonde followed after the Uchiha, who quickly grabbed his hand and tucked it into his own. Naruto smiled uncertainly and got closer to the other man, feeling strangely awkward. The journalists, photographers and cameramen approached the two. For Uzumaki it seemed as if they were all yelling random questions, the flashes of light were blinding him and the cameras were getting way too close. Sasuke, on the other way, seemed to be dealing with all of this hubbub pretty well-he was standing tall, a sexy smile glued to his face, his arm embracing the blonde in a reassuring manner. He was so different from the Sasuke from the morning-the one that was sitting for a whole hour on a freaking floor, trying to regain his composure and panicking because of an opened window.

"You were officially charged with negligent homicide, do you have any comments?" A reporter asked. Naruto could feel Sasuke's fingers squeezing his side painfully. He ignored it even though he knew that it will probably leave bruises.

"It's all slander. I'm pleading not guilty," he replied, sounding confident. "It's all very stressing, though. Fortunately, I'm getting a lot of support from my partner," he added, pushing Naruto closer to the cameras. The blonde grinned widely and nodded. He hoped that he won't have to say anything.

"So, you're finally coming out of the closet!" The newshound shouted.

"I guess I am," Sasuke responded, his voice oddly cheerful. "I'd love to give you a full interview, but I don't have time right now," he said and headed towards the doors, pulling Naruto with him. Journalists kept screaming their questions. The doors behind the two finally closed, and the men found themselves in a dark corridor. Uchiha exhaled loudly and let go off the blonde.

"How did it go?" He inquired. Uzumaki could notice that his breathing was slightly faster. Normally he probably wouldn't even pay attention to it. Naruto wondered whether he'll always observe him this closely.

"Good, I guess. Although it was pretty random," he answered. He wanted to ask if Sasuke was all right but he thought that it would only make the other man angry. "So, we're officially dating now," he said cheerfully, and Uchiha stared at him as if he was trying to guess what was on his mind.

"...I think we are," he replied after some time. "Does it bother you?"

"I _would_ prefer it if our friends were the first ones to know but it's still pretty good."

"It doesn't really change anything," the brunette said.

"So we're not going to parade through _Konoha_ holding our hands?"

"Fuck no," Sasuke answered, trying to hold in a chuckle.

"I think I love you," Naruto whispered, watching those mesmerizing black eyes getting wider and softer. He pushed the other man onto a wall, and landed a kiss on his lips. One of his hands reached under the brunette's shirt. His fingers caressed the white stomach,and found a hard and uneven surface of the scar. Uchiha trembled slightly, and the blonde pressed the blot delicately, enjoying the fact that the hairs on Sasuke's abdomen straightened up.

"I need to change," the man panted and went into his room.

Naruto, left with nothing better to do, decided to take a walk through the house; he tried to find something that changed since four years ago. And there was literally nothing. The house was like a mummy-pretty well preserved but still dead.

The blonde took out his phone, wrote 'I'm dating Sasuke,' and send it to his those, he saw as his closest friends-Jiraiya, Sakura, Kakashi, Sai, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba. Inuzuka replied almost immediately with 'Me too,' evidently believing that it was some kind of a lame joke. Naruto huffed in annoyance, wondering what the others' reaction will be. Sakura, Kakashi, Shikamaru and Choji send a simple congratulatory note, Sai didn't respond at all. Jiraiya called.

"Hi there, kiddo," he said in a sleepy voice. It was already past 8am but he had a habit of working during the night.

"Hi there, perv," the blonde answered as usual.

"Are you sure about that Sasuke?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I can still remember the state you were in when he abandoned you," the man muttered.

"It was all a misunderstanding," Uzumaki explained, feeling stupid.

"Misunderstandings don't last that long."

"I fucked up, too," he exclaimed, pushed to the defence.

"I'm sure you did but you tried to fix it. And that guy did nothing."

"It doesn't matter now."

"Well, it _should_."

"He apologized."

"Buy him a bucquet from me," the older man said sarcastically.

"And what would you want him to do?!"

"For fuck's sake, Naruto. If it wasn't for Sakura you'd probably still be sulking in your apartment."

"It wasn't _this_ bad."

"It was."

"It was a long time ago, and it's not like we need your goddamn blessing."

"It's like… like you're _trying_ to be miserable."

"I'm _happy_."

"All right, all right. I'm sorry. But be careful."

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked. He was already dressed in fresh clothes. Naruto noticed that the other man wore a v-neck. He smiled internally-it wasn't exactly deep, it didn't really show anything, but it was some kind of progress.

"Gotta go," Uzumaki farewelled Jiraiya. "Everything's fine," he answered Sasuke, who was watching him closely. "I just informed some of my friends that we're together."

"Oh?" the brunette questioned, a tint of red showing on his cheeks. "And how did that go?"

"Everyone's cool with it. Sai didn't reply, though."

"Perhaps he didn't see your text."

"That could be it, but he's practically glued to his cell."

"He doesn't like me."

"He doesn't even know you," Naruto opposed, smiling at the brunette, who didn't seem too convinced.

"He told me that," Uchiha explained. The blonde looked at him attentively. He wasn't expecting that.

"Probably he was just being moody. I'll deal with him when we'll get to work."

* * *

><p>When the two got to <em>Konoha<em>, they could practically feel other people's stares. Naruto could see that Sasuke did his best at pretending he didn't notice a thing. They casually strolled into Room 7. Sakura was already there.

"Hey," the blonde greeted the woman, who smiled at him.

"It's all over the internet," she said.

"Already?" Sasuke inquired, and Uzumaki couldn't say how was the other man feeling about this.

"Yeah, it's one of the most popular news when it comes to gossip."

"Are there any comments?" the blonde questioned and stood behind Sakura so he could see her screen. There was a huge photo of him and Sasuke-and he was kind of irritated about the fact that he looked like a freaking Bambi in it-and some text. The majority of the news was referencing the Uchiha's murder case, as the press branded it, but Sasuke's coming out was written in bold.

"Of course there are," the woman pouted and scrolled down. Some of the comments were pretty random and not on the topic, some were rather hateful, and some of them were just not surprised.

"And what about _Konoha_?" he asked, wondering what his coworkers were thinking about all of it.

"Oh, you know. Kiba still can't believe in it, Ino is happier than ever, and the rest is moderately interested. Oh, and Hinata isn't as brokenhearted as she was before."

"What about Sai?"

"Well… Sasuke, can you leave us alone for a moment?" Sakura asked, smiling sweetly at the brunette. He raised his eyebrow but left the room. "So, about Sai… he's not happy."

"Why?"

"Oh, you know, you lied to his face when he asked you about it _yesterday_."

"We weren't together back then."

"So you're trying to tell me that you were just regular pals up till now, and in the morning you two just randomly decided that you were going to be together?"

"Maybe not _regular pals_ but we weren't together. Hell, I learned about the fact that we are together around the same time that journalist did. I think that even Sasuke's still surprised."

"So, by not regular you mean?"

"I sucked his dick yesterday," he confessed, embarrassment showing on his face. He could tell that Sakura was _really_ trying to not laugh. "And we did… some other things."

"What _other things_?" she inquired chuckling.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"It's actually kind of hilarious."

"Why?"

"I called you yesterday, asking you to tell Sasuke that you're straight, and you sucked him off on the same day. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"No, you didn't," he answered slightly offended.

"Sooo… before or after?"

"After, if you really need to know."

"Whoa, I didn't know I set up the mood for it."

"You _didn't._"

"Naruto, chill out, I'm just joking. Anyways, coming back to Sai-were you good?"

"What?"

"That blowjob-was it good?"

"You can ask _him_," he huffed in annoyance, his face as red as it could get.

"Perhaps I will," she threatened him, and, finally, calmed down. "So, about Sai."

"Yeah, about him."

"You know that me and Kakashi are official since the Halloween party, right? But you, and Sai, and some other people knew about it long before that. I told you about it the moment I slept with him."

"Sasuke isn't like Kakashi."

"Do you really think that he was happy about you knowing?"

"I don't know."

"He wasn't. But I trust you, so I just went with it."

"It's not like I don't trust you, guys. I do, it's just… Sasuke is… you know him."

"I do, but he doesn't. Probably that's why I'm not as disappointed as he is."

"I didn't even sleep with him yet."

"Yeah, but you could've said that there was _something_ between the two of you."

"Oh, fuck it, Sakura. What should I do?"

"You may try talking to him or something."

"And what should I say?"

"I'm sorry Sai, for some reason I decided to lie to you, the person that was always there for me, and now I'm with this guy that came back two weeks ago."

"You're making it sound _so_ easy."

"Suck it up."

"I will," Naruto complied unhappily.

"Oh, I already _know_ that you will," she said, smiling at him in a nasty manner. He ruffled her hair, destroying her perfect updo.

* * *

><p>Naruto exhaled loudly. He was standing in front of Sai's new office. He knocked on the door, and, after hearing a muffled 'Please, come in,' went inside. The new head of the department was sitting in a leather chair and drinking a coffee with an insane amount of milk in it.<p>

"Hey, Sai," the blonde started.

"Good Morning, Mr Uzumaki," the brunette replied, his face stern and voice formal. "How may I help you?"

"Sai, stop it."

"I don't think that you should address your supervisor with his first name, Mr Uzumaki," the man interrupted him.

"Sai, I mean it. I'm sorry, I fucked up, I was being stupid. I'll make it up to you."

"And how do you plan to do that, Mr Uzumaki?"

"Stop with Mr Uzumaki."

"If I was calling you by your first name it would be either disrespectful or it would mean that we are friends."

"We _are_ friends."

"I've never heard of a rule that would say it was perfectly fine to lie to your friends, and I don't want to be disrespectful, Mr…"

"Stop it. I've fucked up, all right? And believe me that you learned about it ten minutes after me."

"Learned about what?"

"That I'm dating Sasuke."

"So what do you propose?"

"I can take you somewhere tonight. And it will be on me."

"I can pay for my drinks, thank you very much."

"I _know_ you can. I just want to make it up to you…"

"By paying for my drinks?"

"For example. And taking you to a place of your choosing."

"That's a tempting offer."

"So, what will it be?" Naruto asked, finally getting more relaxed. He had a feeling that since this whole thing with Sasuke started there was a lot of strain on all of his other relations. Perhaps he should apologize to Jiraiya.

"Just you and me?"

"Can do."

"All right."

* * *

><p>After the work Sai and Naruto hit the town. Sasuke simply went home, somewhat unhappy about being left out. The two men visited a number of bars, getting more and more drunk with every hour passing. Eventually they ended up in some rundown place, and the blonde could swear that the reason they even went there was that he didn't like it.<p>

"So, you're with Sasuke," Sai finally touched upon _that_ topic. Naruto was well aware of the fact that the brunette thought him to be rather attractive but he was also pretty damn sure that there were no romantic feelings involved.

"Yeah, I'm," he replied and hiccuped.

"You were always claiming to be straight, though," the brunette noticed, his head swaying to the sides.

"I thought I was," the man explained.

"So you've never even thought about fucking _me_?"

"I think I didn't. But I've still got the picture of your dick in my cellphone, if that counts."

"Only if you've jerked off to it," Sai mumbled and downed another glass of gin with tonic. Naruto hated that drink-it was so bitter. That's why the brunette made him order it. He probably hated it too.

"Then it doesn't."

"Oh, well. What made you chase after him like that? There was a time when you and Sakura claimed to hate his guts."

"I think we might had."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I honestly think that the reason why me and Sakura never got together was because of him."

"And you'd prefer Sakura over him?"

"No, I wouldn't. I'm not entirely sure whether it's healthy but I would always choose him over anyone else. But me and Sakura never even had a chance and there was a time when I thought I was madly in love with her."

"So why didn't you even try?"

"It would be pointless. After Sasuke left us we were both brokenhearted. I didn't go to work for an entire week and if it wasn't for Jiraiya I would surely got fired. But he talked with Tsunade, and he even called Sakura and asked her if she wouldn't come visit me in my apartment."

"She told me about it."

"Well, then there's nothing more to add. If we've ever had a shot it got ruined because of that."

Naruto could remember that time pretty well and Jiraiya's bringing it up scrambled a well healed scar. During the first two months after Sasuke left, the blonde would leave his apartment only for work, and during the first week he didn't leave it at all-when Sakura came with groceries, Naruto ate almost all of it in one go, he was practically starving. Then he vomited because he ate too much. The woman kept on visiting. She would come there every evening, and she would always spend the night in his place. They didn't talk much in the beginning, they were just watching some stupid TV shows and crying every now and then. After some time they were cuddling while doing this, but Naruto could only now realize that it was never about Sakura and him. Even when they almost had sex. She was lying on his creased bed cover, her white legs spread apart, her stomach covered by some t-shirt she was always wearing when she was at his place-they were generally just wearing jumpsuits or other shitty clothing. She was never wearing any makeup, and sometimes her hair was dirty. He didn't mind it back then-he was looking just as awful as she was. He slid into her, feeling her warm moistness wrapping tightly around the head of his penis, and broke apart when he saw her crying. He simply lay on top of her, his head between her perky breasts, his cock still partially in her, and the two of them just sobbed uncontrollably. She was crying after the lost unrequited love, and he… he didn't even know _why_ exactly was he feeling so betrayed back then. As if Sasuke tossed him away when he decided that Naruto wasn't needed anymore.

* * *

><p>Naruto was being supported by Sai, who walked him right to the Sasuke's house doors and knocked on them loudly. They were both intoxicated and bruised. When Uchiha opened the doors, Uzumaki noticed that his new boyfriend was wearing some white t-shirt and had a freaking headband in his hair. He chuckled uncontrollably at the flustered brunette, who eyed the two friends suspiciously.<p>

"Hi, Sasuke," Sai greeted him and handed the blonde to him. "He's all yours now. I'd gladly stay and explain everything but I'm in a rush," he added and ran to the cab that was waiting for him. Then the car drove away and Sasuke was still standing in his doorway, holding Naruto with his straightened arms and ignoring the paparazzis who decided that this particular moment was perfect for taking photos.

"What the actual fuck?" the brunette inquired.

"Will you let me in?" Naruto asked in a wallowing voice, and Uchiha evidently surrendered because he did just that.

"Why is there blood on your face?"

"In that last pub there was a guy that was hitting on Sai, and I told him to fuck off, and then, when I went out with Sai for a smoke, he hit me, and Sai knocked him out."

"You're fucking hopeless."

"How was your evening?" the blonde questioned and thumped on the floor in front of a couch. Sasuke raised his eyebrow but followed his example and sat down next to him.

"Sakura came here," he answered.

"You seem oddly happy about it," Naruto noticed and rested his head on the other man's lap.

"That's because it was kind of surreal. She came here in some sweatpants-and I've never seen her without high heels, and she brought some cake, and some DVDs, and even made some margaritas."

"So you two had a girls' night," the blonde laughed into Sasuke's calf. He winced when he was hit in the ear by the other man.

"That's why it was so ridiculous."

"So what did you do?"

"Well, I let her in, and she just invited herself to my kitchen and started making margaritas. And she didn't believe me when I said that I've never had one."

"Everyone had one."

"I didn't. Then she couldn't believe that I didn't see 'the best TV show ever,' and stuffed her face with cake."

"What's 'the best TV show ever'?"

"Fucking 'Gossip Girl.' She made me watch 'Gossip Girl,'" he confessed and rolled his eyes, smiling faintly.

"You two _really_ had a girls' night."

"Shut up."

"Now I know why you're wearing that headband," he teased the other man, who quickly took the said headband off and tossed it in the corner of the room.

"She _made_ me do it."

"You still have some of the facial on," the blonde said and poked it with his finger. It was pleasantly warm. Sasuke huffed with annoyance.

"What was I supposed to do?"

"I'd enjoy it," Naruto replied and started to play with the brunette's foot. It was cold, and hard, and bony.

"My father wouldn't…" Sasuke started, but his voice failed him before he was able to reach the conclusion of the sentence. He shut his eyes tightly and struggled to stop his bottom lip from quivering.

"Sasuke, don't," the blonde whispered in a pleading tone. "It's not a crime, you know. And I think that he would be proud of you."

"As if he had a reason to be proud," he muttered.

"He has. I'm proud of you. Look, you've achieved a lot despite everything that was happening to you and there are a lot of people who would give up midway. For fuck's sake, you were a world famous fashion model for four years, and you're still a great graphic-even though you probably weren't doing this shit for a long time, and yet you've never needed mine or Sakura's help, and your work is still pretty damn good. And even now, there's this Itachi crap going on and you're dealing with it just all right."

"I'm not exactly _dealing_ with it," the brunette opposed but his features got softer.

"If you're doubting yourself only because you need to sit on a floor every now and then, then you're insane. I wouldn't be able to do it the way you're doing it, I would probably just hide in some corner and die."

"It's not _sitting on a floor_," Sasuke objected, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Sasuke, look, what I'm trying to say is that you should be proud of yourself. If all you have to be ashamed about is the fact that you had some margaritas, ate a cake and allowed Sakura to make you pretty, then I actually envy you."

"_And_ the fact that I'm gay."

"Oh, big whoop, so you want to fuck me in the ass," Naruto snorted out and reached for the brunette's hand. "That should be _our_ problem. Your father has nothing to do with it." The blonde's heart got warmer when he noticed that he was once again able to make Uchiha feel genuinely happy. He squeezed the hand and kissed it.

"I thought that _you_ wanted to fuck _me_," Sasuke noticed.

"I do. And I'm not serving you my ass on a silver plate any time soon. I still have to accept the fact that something might _enter_ it."

"You're being gross."

"At least I'm open to that possibility."

* * *

><p>Sasuke woke up and, with his eyes still closed, focused on the pleasant weight on his back. Naruto must had been sleeping on his side because apart from his arm, the brunette could also feel his leg intertwined with Naruto's. He savored the feeling. This simple moment right there was something he longed for all these years ago. A smile appeared on his lips when he felt that the blonde's getting closer to him. Now the other man was partially lying on him, and his body was so much warmer than his-almost hot.<p>

"Good morning, Sasuke," Uzumaki muttered into his left ear, his breath tickling the nape of his neck.

"Morning," he answered right back.

"We didn't have time to celebrate properly yesterday," the man whispered softly.

"Celebrate what?"

"That we're together, of course. We could go somewhere, leave the city for a day or something," the blonde proposed. Today was their day off. Well, _Naruto's_ day off. The brunette had already scheduled something else.

"I'm not allowed to leave the city," Sasuke replied patiently. Yesterday was the first hearing but only Shikamaru had to be present. It was just to settle the formalities. The brunette didn't want Naruto to worry about him; he also didn't want the case to be the only thing he would be thinking about.

"Oh, right. Then we could do something _in_ the city. I could take you to a fancy restaurant for a dinner."

"I'm busy today," Uchiha answered, feeling somewhat guilty. "I'm sorry, Naruto."

"...no problem," the blonde replied. Sasuke could hear that he was let down.

"I have a photoshoot today," he added, hoping that changing the topic will distract the blonde.

"Really?"

"Yeah. For _Konoha_. Kabuto requested me and I agreed."

Kabuto was a fashion designer and even though he was rather new, his name was already well known. The clothes he designed were bohemian in style and usually rather dark. Generally, it was just a fancy streetwear.

"That's great!" Uzumaki exclaimed, and Sasuke turned so he could see his face. If someone told him two weeks ago that he'll get together with the blonde, he would probably answer that he didn't want to and that it was impossible.

"He wants me for my scars," he said. "Normally I wouldn't agree to it but Shikamaru wanted me to, so here I am," he explained. The blue eyes narrowed.

"What about yesterday?"

"What do you mean?" the brunette inquired lazily.

"Shikamaru also wanted you to come out."

"You also told me that I should do it," Sasuke noticed.

"So you did it because of the case?" the blonde questioned. He didn't look so happy anymore.

"Basically-yes. Why else would I do it?"

"So our 'being together' really doesn't change anything?" Naruto asked. He wasn't touching the brunette now. He was sitting on the bed instead, and Sasuke could see his neck muscles getting tense.

"What would you want to change?" Uchiha asked dumbfounded. He really didn't understand it. They were sleeping together, they were talking, kissing, and the only reason why they didn't have sex with penetration was because Naruto didn't want to.

"I don't know. Yesterday I told Jiraiya that you're my boyfriend."

"Yeah, I know."

"Sasuke, if you're doing this only because you don't want to go to jail, I get it. And I will still help you."

"What are you talking about?" Uchiha muttered. The blonde looked as if he was in pain.

"I'm saying that you need to be sincere with me. I'm not going to leave you alone in all of this only because you don't really want to be with me. And I'll forgive you if you'll admit to it now."

"What gave you that idea?"

"You've said it yourself. You introduced me as your partner only because Shikamaru told you to, and you've even said that it doesn't change anything."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Naruto. Shikamaru told me to _come out_, not to introduce you as my partner. And nothing really changes because we've already been acting as if we were in a relationship. That's it." The blonde looked at him for a moment, his facial expression changing from a disappointed to a happy one.

"Sooo… you _like_ me," he said, and Sasuke could swear that this was a perfect imitation of a teenage girl.

"I've already told you I do," the brunette complained and hid himself under covers. He couldn't believe that he was having this conversation with a grown ass man.

"Actually no, you didn't."

"I must had."

"But you didn't. I told you I _love_ you, and you didn't even say that you like me."

"Isn't it obvious?" Uchiha questioned. This whole situation was more than embarrassing. Naruto grinned at him like a Cheshire cat.

"What's obvious?" the blonde inquired and returned to his place on Sasuke's back.

"You'd knew if you weren't an idiot," the brunette complained and hid his face in a pillow.

"That's rude. You shouldn't talk to your beloved _boyfriend_ in such a way, you know," Naruto mocked him.

"You're an idiot."

"Sasuke, I'll make it easier to you-do you _like_ me?" The blonde asked, his voice unusually serious.

"Yes," he replied and sighed heavily. _I've been in love with you since fucking forever._

"That'll do for now," Uzumaki replied and embraced the other man tightly. "So if you're going to the photoshoot today, it means that you'll be busy for a whole day?"

"That's possible."

"Then perhaps we could do something in the evening?"

"Why do you want to celebrate it so much?"

"We've got together after six years. That's huge."

Uchiha couldn't hold the smile that appeared on his face. He wished he could stay in that bed forever.

"Naruto, you _do_ realize that if we were to go out in the evening we would probably get swarmed with paparazzis? I appreciate the offer but it's not possible."

"Then I could cook something for you? And you would come visit me?"

"There are some things I need to take care of," the brunette mumbled. He hated the fact that he wasn't able to play house with Naruto.

"So that's a no?"

"Maybe next time?" Sasuke proposed shyly. He felt inadequate and guilty. He could see that the blonde desired a rather normal relationship-one in which one of the partners wasn't a psycho with a crazy brother that wanted to put the said psycho into jail. Probably agreeing to Naruto's offer of being together was selfish of him. He was still afraid that the whole thing will end just as quickly as it started. Naruto just had to come to his senses. Sasuke hated himself for not being able to break up with him or, what would be even better, for not being able to not agree to be with him.

"All right… I guess it was stupid of me to ask. Maybe I could just come and help you with whatever you're doing today?"

"I'm meeting Shikamaru. He gave my patient files to some expert psychiatrist who decided that I wasn't mentally stable when… that thing happened. So even if I were to be found guilty, I still shouldn't end up in jail."

"That's great news!" Naruto exclaimed. "So even if you won't be able to prove that it was all Itachi's doing you're still safe."

"Naruto, Itachi's a witness. I'm the defendant."

"Then if you won't be able to prove that you're innocent…?"

"That's more like it. But Shikamaru said that if I'm proven guilty then Itachi might use it to either gain more freedom in where he is now or even ask to be treated in a way more liberal facility. He might be free again. Apparently one of his doctors believes that he's making a wonderously quick recovery. Nara found out that she was working for Sarutobi just before he died. So if all of this is not a coincidence..."

"Shikamaru's pretty cool," the blonde muttered, jealousy clearly audible in his voice. "I wish I wasn't so useless," he whispered.

"You're not useless," Sasuke opposed. "You're just… not a lawyer."

"I _am_ useless. I'm completely clueless and unable to help you with anything. I can't give you any legal advice, I can't beat up that brother of yours, I don't even know what to do when you're… having a panic attack…"

"You're doing pretty good," the brunette interrupted Naruto. He turned on his back and finally faced the blonde. The blue eyes were filled with concern. "But you don't have to worry about me. You can just leave me alone, I'll eventually recover."

Saying this cost him a lot of willpower. He felt as if an iron ring was tightening around his heart. He didn't need this right now. Sasuke tried to focus on something else-on the warmth of Naruto's hand, on the fact that even if it wasn't meant to be eternal he _was_ loved by someone, and not by just anyone but by the same man he fell in love with. His breathing became heavier, and the blonde must had already noticed what was going on because for a brief moment Uchiha could see fear showing in his eyes. Then the blonde's face relaxed but Sasuke was rather certain that it was forced. He hated himself for this.

"I'm not going to leave you alone," Naruto stammered out, his tanned hands touching Sasuke's delicately. The brunette curled up, and the blonde lay right beside him. Uchiha felt nauseous, his mouth was getting filled with saliva, and his eyes started to sting. He tried to relax his muscles but it did nothing, and left him feeling even more panicked. "Do you want me to do something?" the blonde inquired carefully. Sasuke wasn't physically able to answer. He was certain that he would vomit if he opened his mouth. He shook his head and curled under the covers. His feet and hands felt cold. The blonde must had thought that he caused this attack. Uchiha tried to overcome it, at least partially, so he could speak again and stop burdening Naruto with his problems. He felt cold fingers caressing his forehead and brushing some lost strands of hair aside. They seemed wet. Sasuke felt ashamed-apparently he was sweating badly enough to make his hair stick to the scalp. He hated his body and himself. "I love you," the blonde stated quietly and pulled the brunette closer, making him rest his head on the tanned and muscular shoulder. His body was amazingly warm. Uchiha's body was all tense but it started to relax slowly.

"It's not your fault," he stuttered the moment he could speak again. He was still trembling and his heart was still pumping insane amounts of blood but he _could_ speak again. The blonde apparently stopped breathing, and Sasuke could feel something hot and wet touching his ear, which was pressed against Naruto's cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He wondered for how long will Uzumaki be able to put up with his shit. He felt waves of guilt passing over him.

"There's no need to be," the blonde replied and chuckled bitterly.

"You do realize that it won't get better?" he asked anxiously.

"What do you mean?"

"That it's not like I'm going to be fixed after this whole affair with Itachi ends. And that it's not like you can fix this."

"I know."

"I may flip out for no rational reason. Or in public. I may not be able to participate in something you've planned earlier."

"It's not important," Uzumaki answered quickly and kissed the other man in the shoulder.

"I mean it, Naruto. I might lose it in that fancy restaurant you wanted to take me to, and I could disappear in the bathroom for at least half an hour. Or a couple of hours. It's even possible that we would get thrown away because of that," he explained patiently. The attack didn't end yet but it was rather mild at the moment.

"I don't care. It's not like I would be embarrassed because of this-because I believe that this is what you're getting at. Stop being sorry."

"You may think you're able to deal with this…," Sasuke started.

"I. Love. You. All of you. I just wish I knew how to make you feel better but if we just have to wait it out, it's fine by me. I don't mind it."

"...you really are a total moron," Uchiha muttered and gave up on reasoning with the other male.

"You are a total moron too," Naruto said and a smile appeared on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Welcome back, my dearest guest reviewer! :) I've missed you a lot, I was even afraid that you've stopped reading this, so having you back means a lot to me. I'm not able to answer to all of your reviews in here because I would write more than 2k words and that would be cheating when it comes to the length of the text but I just want you to know that I'm really grateful :) And changing the summary _did_ help :) It's still shitty but it's better now (the summary, of course :D).**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait (well, by my standards it was a pretty long one :)).**


	9. Home

The two men showered and sat in kitchen in order to eat breakfast. Sasuke was drinking his coffee and kept on looking at the clock every five minutes. He had to leave in an hour.

"So, before I interrupted you, you were saying something about the woman that used to work for your doctor and now she's treating Itachi?" Naruto questioned.

"Uhm, yeah. I don't know her but she is one year younger than Itachi and they went to the same med school. She's not a licensed psychiatrist yet, though. Shikamaru said that if they knew each other before then her opinion won't matter but it's difficult to find something."

"Itachi studied medicine?"

"He _was_ the prodigy child," the brunette admitted unwillingly. He was always considered as worse than his brother.

"Prodigy my ass. But why would proving that you're guilty help him?"

"Then they might brand the acid-pouring as a mental breakdown, and even though the restraining order will still be in power, he _might_ end up in a facility that would allow him to leave it for some time. Right now he can't even communicate with the outside world so that would be a huge improvement for him."

"We'll move out if that happens," Naruto stated. Sasuke looked at him attentively.

"Move where exactly?"

"I don't know. Somewhere far away. Perhaps to Europe."

"You have a life in here," Uchiha noticed.

"I could have one in Europe if I wanted to," the blonde replied and grinned at the other man. "Our friends will understand it. And you'd be safer there."

"You _love_ working for _Konoha_," Sasuke opposed, feeling guilty again.

"I guess I love you more. Look, we have great CVs, we could work for some magazine there. Or we could become freelancers. It doesn't matter. I'd miss our friends but... "

"I'm not going to let you do that to yourself," the brunette objected.

"Do what? Keep you safe?"

"No, I mean the throwing away your life part. You have friends in here, you have Jiraiya, you're doing what you've always wanted to do."

"I don't care."

"Well, _I_ do."

"Perhaps we won't have to do it. Shikamaru's smart and he will crack the case, one way or another."

"Even if he doesn't we are _not_ moving away."

"I'd be worried sick every time I wouldn't be with you. Probably also when I'd be with you. Your brother is a psycho and a murderer. Do you really think that my job is more important to me?"

"My parents' house is here."

"The house is dead, and you're still alive and I want to keep you that way. What can't you understand?!"

Sasuke eyed the other man, feeling anger and shame. The blonde probably meant well but it wasn't exactly helping.

"I have nothing more left," he admitted.

Naruto stared at him for a moment, blinking his eyes and evidently not knowing _what_ was going on.

"Can't you leave this house? It'll still be yours. And it will stay in here."

"Itachi might burn it."

"Yeah, right, then it would be better if he did that while you're inside. Sasuke, come on. Be reasonable."

"I'm tired of this conversation," he uttered and got up.

"I'm tired too. Do these walls really mean this much to you? I'd understand if it was about the furniture or something but these are just walls. You can take the furniture with you. Hell, we might just tear the whole thing down and rebuild it somewhere else."

"You're insane," Sasuke realized.

"_No_, you're insane," Naruto replied. "We shouldn't be even arguing about this. For all we know Shikamaru might just solve everything."

"I'm not insane," Uchiha growled. The blonde remained silent for a moment, apparently digesting everything that just happened. Then he looked at the brunette apologetically.

"I know you're not insane. It's just a figure of speech," he said quietly and rubbed his forehead. "I just don't want to worry about you. And I'm pretty sure I'm not being overprotective. And I think that you know it too. Call me when you're free again, I'll come here. We might still eat something together. And we'll talk this through again."

Sasuke stared at the other man, trying to take in everything he'd just said. This morning was a goddamn emotional rollercoaster. He had to admit to himself that his attachment to this house wasn't the most rational thing in his life. The same went for his relationship with Naruto. He also often felt that he should have ended both of them but for different reasons. The house was probably destroying him but right now he was destroying Uzumaki. The normally cheerful and lively blonde. He was pretty sure that he had no right to do that.

"I'll call you," he agreed finally, cursing himself for not being able to deny himself Naruto.

* * *

><p>When he reached his destination, he could see that Neji, Kabuto and some other people were already there.<p>

"Hey," he greeted everyone. They were in some abandoned factory, and in the middle of hall stood a bathtub. The walls were made of red brick, and there were some dirty, sometimes shattered windows close to the ceiling. The tub clearly used to be white but right now it was covered with rusty smudges. The floor was just polished concrete.

"You're finally here," Neji complained. "Change your clothes and let's start shooting. It's not like we have a whole day for this."

"All right," Sasuke replied and put on Kabuto's pieces. Apart from him there were two more models-one male and one female. They were already dressed, and the clothes they were wearing were somewhat baggy, very ornamental and revealing a lot of body even though the pieces were heaped up in multiple, totally unneeded, layers. His were a backless vest, something that seemed to be a thousand of scarves, ridiculously huge hat and absurdly tight pants.

Apparently Sasuke's body was supposed to be the crowning jewel of Kabuto's collection. The brunette was pretty sure that his stains were clearly visible in every possible shot-he was usually asked to show his back _more_-Neji probably hated the idea. It was pretty cold in there, and when the photographer and the fashion designer decided to soak them in water all of them were freezing. The other models were easy to work with-apparently the whole session was to show some love triangle between Sasuke, the woman and the man. He was kissed by both of them, and for a moment he even wondered whether Naruto won't be jealous when he sees the photos but he decided that the both of them were working in fashion industry long enough to not care about such silly matters. After all it was just a job.

He had to admit that he missed working as a model. His career was halted because of the stains but it was doomed to end because he used to have way too many panic attacks in the last year he worked as one. He wasn't reliable anymore, and he could understand why almost no one was interested in working with him. Just before the accident he missed an entire day on runway because of that. During the fashion week. He was fucked whether he would or wouldn't be scarred. Working as a graphic designer was far less stressful and more predictable. He was worried at first when he learned that the whole transfer thing worked, and that he'll have to spend his days with Naruto and Sakura, but it turned out just fine. Naruto and he got together, and Sakura was pretty fun to be around.

He still didn't tell Naruto that he was in love with him, and it was somehow bugging him. He probably _should_ tell him that-after all he heard it from the blonde, so he shouldn't be afraid of rejection but it seemed extremely embarrassing. He wasn't ready to admit that he had a crush on the idiot for so long. Shikamaru knew and he pitied him-or so it seemed to be. Uzumaki probably would bring that up on every occasion he would get, and saying that he fell in love with him during these last few days seemed absurd. He promised himself that once again he will wait an acceptable amount of time before saying it out loud. If he'll ever get the chance.

After all, Naruto could come to his senses earlier. It was probably for the best that Sasuke didn't tell him about his feelings. Then the blonde could feel obliged to be with the pitiful psycho, and if _these_ words aren't voiced then he's more free to do whatever he wishes. The brunette knew that even if _he_ was to break up with Uzumaki, they would get together again. Naruto was stubborn and Sasuke actually wanted to be with him.

"That'll be it," Neji said and it concluded the photoshoot. Uchiha changed back into his clothes, regretting that he didn't bring anything warmer. He was practically freezing. His hair was still wet, and he didn't exactly had the time to do something about it. He was supposed to meet Shikamaru in one hour.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru asked him to go to his house, which was located not very far from his own-the neighborhood was definitely newer, Sasuke didn't remember it to be there when he was younger. The house itself was pretty nice-it wasn't exactly big but it was well kept. He knocked on the doors, and a blond woman opened him.<p>

"Good evening," he greeted her. She must had been Shikamaru's wife. From what he knew, Nara married young.

"Evening," she answered and rolled her eyes. "Shikamaru! It's your client or something!" she yelled, and let Sasuke in. The brunette went inside, pondering over the fact that the woman didn't even ask who he was. Well, it was too late for canvassers but he could be just anyone.

"Hey. This is my wife, Temari," Shikamaru introduced the woman. "And this is Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto's partner," he said, and Temari looked at 'Naruto's partner' more attentively, as if she was judging him.

"He's kind of cute, I guess," she decided.

"Thank you?" he muttered under his nose, and Shikamaru took him into his office. The room was rather small, and the majority of it was occupied by a huge, expensive-looking desk made of some dark wood. The lawyer showed him a chair in front of it and sat on the other side.

"I don't usually meet my clients in home but there's not much time left," he started. "I'm glad that the chances of you going into jail were reduced to almost zero but there are some other things we should discuss. Like, for example-your brother is still able to, quote unquote, tell his life story to all these rags. Of course, the journalists claim that they didn't speak with him, that this is just a _source_, and so on but it's so obvious that I'm kind of admiring Itachi for how insolent he can be. He's literally not even trying and yet I can't prove anything."

"What is he saying?"

"It's not _him_, it's a _reliable source_ or a _friend of a family_, or whatever but, anyway, he's complaining about how he knew that you were the one responsible for your parents' death but he still decided to cover for you because you were his dearest little brother that he could never hurt, and how he practically raised you, and now you've stabbed him in the back by putting him into asylum when he became inconvenient, and now he's just trying to regain the control over his life… it's all bullshit."

"And people buy it?"

"Of course they do. Nobody knows _why_ exactly was he put in the asylum. What they _do_ know is that you're the famous model, so, obviously, you must be a total douche that likes to use and bully average people like them and Itachi. And the fact that he was going to be a doctor doesn't help either. I swear that I expect him to be followed to the stand by a group of children dressed in pastel colored dresses."

"I'm trying to do what you've asked me to. I've already came out and today I was modeling, and the scars will be visible in the photos."

"Well, you need to give some interview, too."

"I'll try to," Uchiha promised and sighed heavily.

"I'm still trying to find out something about Konan but it seems like she and Itachi really never met. At least in the med school. They didn't have any classes together, they lived in different part of campuses, they didn't have any mutual friends…"

"Maybe they really didn't knew each other. I've never heard about her. And I didn't even see him with any woman, ever."

"And there's still the question of what happened with Mr Sarutobi. They didn't do any autopsy because he died in his own home, and his family was there, and he was old, and now it's too late to do that. He was cremated."

"Do you think that Itachi killed him?"

"It's impossible. He was already in the asylum. But he could _ask_ someone to do it, I guess. It just seems really suspicious. He was supposed to be a patient of his too, and it's just written that he never showed up. His file is completely empty. I even had someone check if it was printed on the same machine, and, apparently-it was. I guess I could try to check _when_ it was printed but it's pretty expensive."

"I'll pay for it," Sasuke offered.

"Sasuke, I'm your lawyer. I _know_ for a fact that you don't have enough money. I'll do it myself but right now I'm thinking about some other ways around it."

"..."

"The next hearing will be in two weeks. I've also ordered all the evidence from your parents' "suicide" to be checked for Itachi's prints. Perhaps some of them will be useful."

"Thank you," Uchiha said sincerely. He was really grateful.

"There's no need to," Nara replied and smiled at the other man. "How are you and Naruto doing?" he inquired in a friendly tone.

"Pretty good, I think," he didn't even know whether it was or wasn't true.

"I've always knew there was something off about you two. After all of this is over we should meet for a less formal reason. You may want to tell Naruto that Temari's pregnant," Nara finally said and his eyes were filled with joy and pride.

"Congratulations, I will," Sasuke assured the other brunette and smiled at him politely. He started to wonder if Uzumaki wouldn't want a family of his own, too. Wasn't it something that orphaned children were supposed to want? A loving home? It was just another thing Sasuke could add to the list of things he'll never be able to give to his partner.

Naruto was sitting in his apartment, nervously waiting for Sasuke to finally call and tell him that they can meet. He wouldn't had guessed that he would end up with someone like him. Hell, he wouldn't had even guessed that it would be a 'he,' but Naruto already came to terms with it. What was worrying him more was the fact that he indeed didn't know what to do with someone who was obviously mentally shaken. He didn't even know how serious it was. Sure, Sasuke claimed that it wasn't very severe, and, probably, if one was to compare it with something the brunette would consider severe, it wasn't. But it was still more than just a simple inconvenience. Uchiha was completely irrational sometimes. And he had panic attacks which lasted around one hour each. Sasuke said that they might be as long as few hours.

Probably some medication would help him but if Naruto was to suggest it, he would just hear that it wasn't his business. And Sasuke might not like the idea of taking any medication after what happened to his parents. Even the blonde wasn't sure whether he would feel comfortable with Sasuke taking some mysterious pills that would possibly numb him. Especially since he wasn't emotionally stable.

Just a few days ago he claimed that he didn't want to live anymore. A couple of days before that he said that he wouldn't kill himself and that he's already healed. Naruto believed that Uchiha didn't lie to him and that he told him what he believed to be true each of these times but it taught him that he couldn't just take in everything Sasuke was saying, and believe in it no matter what. It wasn't an easy thing to realize.

Naruto never had to be this careful with anyone. He didn't even know what could set Sasuke off. From what Uzumaki noticed, the brunette didn't like opened doors and windows. He probably also didn't like to talk about the panic attacks. If he was to count that one time when they were lying on the floor after their first kiss and after the whole 'tomorrow' talk, Naruto would also have to add 'being gay' as another thing that could make the brunette flip out. And there was the Itachi case. And Sasuke was also getting insanely defensive whenever Uzumaki mentioned his house. But that was just making him angry, at least for now.

Naruto sighed heavily. The first weeks of relationship were supposed to be happy and sugarcoated. This wasn't. He hated to admit it but he couldn't say that being with Sasuke made him _happy_. It was rather painful. But then again he was sure that if he was to watch the brunette struggle from afar, it would be even more painful. He couldn't leave him like this. He loved him.

He loved him for the longest time but he was never before able to actually name the feeling. He felt the need to be near Sasuke, and to help him in any way possible. He felt responsible for him. He wasn't able to imagine a reality in which Uchiha was no more. He needed to make sure that the other man was happy and safe. He would sacrifice his well-being just for Sasuke's sake. He would descend to hell and come back if it meant that Sasuke could finally find his peace. He admired him and the fact that he was able to survive everything that happened to him. But he hated the fact that he had such reason to admire him. He would just prefer it if the brunette was a regular happy guy.

Jiraiya would probably scold him. It _was_ possible that he was trying to be miserable on purpose. He was able to admit that if Sasuke didn't show up again, he would probably eventually just forget about him and get on with his life. Right now it was impossible. He felt incredibly happy when Uchiha admitted to the whole world that they were together. The brunette was the first person about which Uzumaki told Jiraiya, and the blonde wished that his adoptive parent thought better of it all. Or at least tried to react in a more positive way. Right now he was afraid that if Jiraiya learned about everything Naruto knew right now then his opinion about this relationship would be even worse.

The blonde cursed under his breath and rubbed his temples.

He just had to accept the fact that not everyone will be happy with his decisions. That not everyone will be supportive and happy for him.

He grew even more worried. It was already 10pm, and he didn't think that Sasuke would spend so much time at Shikamaru's. Naruto already called Neji and learned that the photoshoot was over by 6pm. He wondered if something could had happened to the brunette. He didn't pick up his phone for the last two hours; Uzumaki also had trouble reaching Nara. His stomach felt as if he swallowed a bunch of rocks.

Perhaps Sasuke was panicking again at Shikamaru's house. Perhaps he was attacked by someone on his way home. Naruto growled and got up, deciding that he had to drive to Uchiha's and check on him. If he won't be there, then he can also check Nara's place. And if he won't be there either… the blonde didn't want to ponder over other possibilities.

When he reached Sasuke's house, he sighed with relief because he noticed that some of the lights were on. It meant that his boyfriend was home, and that was the most important thing he had to settle. He hated himself for the fact that he wasn't even angry at Uchiha for not picking up phone or, for that matter, for not calling him even though he promised to do it. It wasn't even important right then. He knocked on the doors, and Sasuke opened him. He had his hair tied into a weird kind of updo that was probably just restraining it from falling into Uchiha's eyes.

"You didn't call me," he said pointlessly instead of greeting the other man.

"I didn't," Sasuke admitted, and it was even more pointless.

"Why?"

"I wanted to surprise you but it takes much longer than I thought it would," he stated simply.

"Surprise me with what?" Naruto inquired, trying to keep his face stern despite the fact that his lips kept curling upwards.

"I'm redecorating," the brunette confessed as if it was the most normal thing to do at 11 pm. "Well, perhaps not _redecorating_ but I'm preparing to redecorate the whole house. I'm throwing some stuff away and changing things."

"Oh?" Uzumaki questioned, feeling more than happy. He wanted to hug Sasuke as tightly as it was physically possible, and tell him that he was damn proud of him but he was pretty much sure that since Uchiha pretended it to be pretty casual he shouldn't do it. "I'd help you if you called me before," he added and grinned at the other man. The thought that doing this kind of thing in at this hour wasn't the most rational thing to do, and that they could always do it later didn't even cross his mind. It was possible that if Sasuke decided to do it later, he wouldn't do it at all because he would second guess himself and the whole affair. "But I'd also gladly help you now if you want me to."

"I'm not even half-done with everything and I was working for three hours straight," the brunette warned him and smiled at the blonde affectionately.

"I don't care," Naruto replied and invited himself inside.

"I started with the second floor," Uchiha explained.

"Then let's go there."

The two went upstairs, and Uzumaki noticed that the room which formerly belonged to Itachi was practically empty save for bed, desk and some cardboard boxes.

"I'm keeping all off his stuff for now because it might come in handy during this whole trial, and I thought about giving the bed and the desk away, I guess there are people who might still use it," the brunette murmured, trying to sound normal. Naruto grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, hoping that it will send the message he wanted to send.

Then Sasuke showed him the bathroom and the storing room-both were more or less empty, only the most essential furniture remained inside. Then they went into the brunette's father's study, which wasn't finished yet. Uzumaki noticed that the bookshelves were emptied and cleaned. The books were stacked neatly on the floor.

"Do you have any idea how do you want them to be arranged?" he asked and sat down on the floor in front of the piles.

"Frankly, I don't know. They're mostly about medicine and I'm not even sure that I need them," he said, some bitterness audible in his voice.

"Then let's just keep those you like," Naruto proposed shyly and smiled. The brunette just nodded, and the two went through the piles of books, organizing them. The majority of them ended up on 'to give away' pile which made the blonde grin. It was a good sign.

Then Sasuke approached the desk.

"I've never opened it before," he muttered to himself.

They didn't find anything interesting inside. It was just cluttered with some notes, brochures and now outdated electronical devices-some old computer mouse, cables, old memory cards.

Naruto noticed some pictures on one of the walls. There were two of them-one showed a pair of brunettes, a man, and a woman, and it was evidently a wedding picture. The blonde assumed that these people were Sasuke's parents. He could see in him some resemblance to the father, but Naruto had to admit that Uchiha was almost a copy of his mother. He smiled to himself.

"Your mother is really beautiful," he said, and the brunette stopped cleaning the desk. He looked as if he froze. Uzumaki cursed himself, wondering whether Sasuke's parents weren't another taboo.

"She was," his boyfriend answered. "She used to be a fashion photographer," he added after a pause.

"So you're pursuing your mother's career?" Naruto inquired, hoping that he will be able to learn more.

"I wouldn't be a very good photographer," Sasuke mumbled and blushed slightly.

"But you're working in the same industry."

"I guess so," he replied. The blonde couldn't help but be envious of Uchiha. He _knew_ his parents.

"And I assume that your father was a doctor?"

"That's correct."

"How did they meet one another?" Naruto questioned before he could stop himself.

"...they went to the same high school," the brunette replied shortly. Apparently he didn't want to say more, and Uzumaki didn't want to push him. He looked at the other photograph-it was a young man, and he was holding a graduation diploma. He guesses that it had to be Itachi. Naruto realized that there wasn't any picture of Sasuke, and then he noticed that on the wall there was a brighter rectangle. There was also a nail. It was pretty obvious that there used to be three pictures. He gulped loudly, and turned back to the brunette, who was watching him closely. Uzumaki tried to disregard it, and just come back to cleaning the study up.

"I took it down," Sasuke whispered unexpectedly.

Naruto wondered whether pretending that he didn't notice anything would be a good idea. Then he resigned.

"...why?"

"I didn't belong here," he explained and sat down on the leather chair that was standing in front of the desk.

"And what did you do with it?"

"I threw it away. It was a long time ago."

"..."

"I don't think there are any pictures of me left in this house," he confessed.

"...but if your mother was a photographer…"

"There used to be plenty of it," Uchiha agreed. "But now there are none."

"I see," Naruto said quietly and stood behind Sasuke. He massaged the brunette's temples and kissed him in the forehead, tilting the other man's head a little. "What do you want to do with this room?" he inquired, trying to distract Sasuke. "Do you need a study?"

"No, I don't," Uchiha admitted and grabbed the blonde's head, pulling him closer and kissing him. Their lips brushed against each other, and Naruto gasped with shock when the brunette's tongue entered his mouth forcefully. He gave in to the moment, sucking on Sasuke's upper lip. "But it's big enough for a bedroom," he said as they parted their lips. Then he smirked mischievously. Naruto wasn't even aware of how much he missed it.

"So we'll need to take everything out," he said, pretending to be completely oblivious to Uchiha's poor innuendos.

"And paint it."

"And paint it," Naruto agreed. He was glad that the rectangle on the wall will disappear.

"Do you want to have the ceiling painted as well?" Sasuke inquired.

"I think it should be up to you," the blonde replied dumbfounded.

"You're the one who will have to watch it for the most of time, though," the Uchiha muttered innocently, and Naruto snorted in the answer.

"As if," he responded and chuckled. The brunette smiled at him. His features looked softer than usually. "But I'd just leave it white."

"And here I was, afraid that you might come up with something insane like _orange_."

"Orange is a beautiful color," Uzumaki objected, pretending to be hurt.

"I used to hate it," Sasuke confessed, and closed his eyes slowly. It was already well past midnight, and they had to go to work tomorrow.

"Used to?" the blonde questioned.

"It grew on me," Uchiha admitted and sighed. "We should probably go to bed now."

"We will finish all of this tomorrow and during the weekend," Naruto promised.

"...thank you," the brunette whispered almost inaudibly.

"I like hanging out with you," Uzumaki stated simply and grinned widely. "I'll have to go back to the car for a moment," he added.

"What for?"

"I packed."

"You packed?" Sasuke inquired.

"Yeah, I thought that I should bring some of my stuff here. If you don't want to think about it as living together, you may just call it 'Naruto's staying in my place.' Since I still pay rent for my apartment, and the majority of my things is still there."

"So you've just invited yourself here for an indefinite amount of time?"

"That's right," the blonde agreed. "You can always kick me out, though."

"That would be rude," Uchiha noticed lazily.

"I'm being rude with barging into your house like that so feel free to do whatever you want," the blonde protested.

"I have better manners," he objected and smiled at Naruto. Uzumaki laughed with relief. He cursed himself for thinking that Sasuke didn't make him happy earlier. He did.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm adding it on the 7th of November just to state that I uploaded this chapter on the 4th, so before I could see any spoilers of 699 & 700. I would've never guessed that this baby boom was how the manga was going to end. So... I kind of regret that I made Temari pregnant. ShikaTema is the only pairing that made sense in the last two chapters of the manga but it still tastes bitter. **


	10. Pancakes

Naruto woke up in the middle of the night. He didn't open his eyes yet but he could feel that Sasuke wasn't with him in the bed. He sighed heavily. He didn't like this. The blonde got up and walked out of the room. He could see that there were some lights on upstairs. He went there, and saw the brunette unpacking the boxes that had books in them.

"Do you need my help?" he asked. Uzumaki didn't mean his voice to sound so defeated but it did sound so.

"...no," Sasuke murmured. His hands were shaking. The blonde approached him, and hugged him from behind. He didn't exactly feel like it but he wanted Uchiha to know that he was still with him.

"I'll help you," he stated and started to unpack another box. Sasuke eyed him, and sat down on the floor, reaching for some book on anatomy.

"It wasn't a good idea," he mumbled.

"It was," Naruto disagreed and put some books back on shelves. He was tired. He slept only for a few hours and he probably wouldn't be able to sleep before work, too. Perhaps he'll be able to catch up with sleep during the weekend.

"You must think I'm crazy," the brunette whined and lay down on the floor, covering his eyes with his arm.

"I don't think you're crazy," Uzumaki calmly replied. "I've never asked about the photoshoot and about what Shikamaru told you," he added, trying to distract Sasuke.

"...the photoshoot was fine. And when it comes to Shikamaru, he's doing more and better than I could hope him to. Not everything is crystal clear yet, though," Uchiha whispered in a broken tone.

"So he has some new leads?" Naruto inquired as he was finishing to empty another box.

"...yeah. You don't have to do this."

"None of us has to do this," the blonde stated, and sighed. He heard Sasuke whine quietly, and turned towards him. The man was still lying on the ground, his body was slightly shaking. Uzumaki lay down next to him and put his head on the other male's chest. He could hear the brunette's heart beating loudly.

"I thought I could deal with this," Uchiha explained himself.

"I still think that you're able to do it," Naruto replied. "It's just a moment of weakness."

"..."

"Let's go back to bed. We can do this tomorrow, if you'll still feel like it."

"...what if I _do_ feel like it tomorrow but I'll change my mind in a month?" Sasuke questioned.

"This house is pretty big. You could spare one room for these stuff," Naruto answered.

"...but then this cycle of packing and unpacking will never end," he mused.

"Eventually it will," the blonde replied, hoping it to be true. "Let's go back to sleep," he proposed.

"I'd never think that you're so patient," Uchiha noticed. He started to calm down.

"Me neither," Naruto replied and chuckled unwillingly. "But now, really, let's go back to sleep. I'm pretty much exhausted and I bet that you're too." Sasuke didn't answer to that. He ruffled the blonde's hair instead, and rested his hand on Uzumaki's head. It felt nice. The brunette's heartbeat slowed down, too. "Sasuke, please, I don't want to sleep on the floor."

"...you can just go there alone," Uchiha noticed.

"And what do you want to do now, huh?"

"I don't know. I'm not feeling sleepy."

"Floor it is, then. I'm starting to think that you don't really need any furniture."

"I need the stove. And the refrigerator."

"It's not real furniture, you know."

"I also need at least one kitchen counter," the brunette murmured, evidently not irritated by Naruto's silly comments.

"...I take it that you like to cook," the blonde said, finally giving up on doing anything sensible today.

"I might like it. Wanna cook something?" the man proposed, and Naruto was pretty sure that Uchiha was indeed insane.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. We might need to go to a store, though," Sasuke evidently pondered over what did he have in the refrigerator. "I could make us pancakes."

"...pancakes?"

"I have everything that's needed to prepare them."

"Fucking pancakes?"

"You don't like pancakes?" Uchiha inquired innocently.

"You. Me. Bed. Now," Naruto decided and stood up. The brunette was still lying on the ground but it didn't last very long-the blonde lifted Sasuke, and placed Uchiha's body over above his shoulders. He wrapped his left arm around the brunette's right leg and hold his right arm with one hand.

"I didn't know you had a thing for pancakes," Sasuke snorted, his limbs dangling behind Naruto's back.

"I didn't know you were this heavy," the blonde retorted.

"Fuck you, Sakura's jealous of my thigh gap."

"_Right_," Uzumaki muttered as he was walking out of the study. He had to be extra careful so he wouldn't make Sasuke hit his head on the jamb. "She probably says this to everyone."

"Did she tell _you_ this?"

"No, but she told me that I have a nice looking penis," Naruto answered.

"...did you fuck every woman in the world?" Uchiha whined. The blonde noticed that this time he wasn't joking. Uzumaki started to descend the stairs, wondering whether he'll be able to do it and not hurt the other man, who was just lying on him lifelessly.

"I didn't have sex with Sakura," he replied. It was technically true. "She just saw me changing the other day," he added.

"Oh," Sasuke muttered. "So _she_ saw your penis but _I_ didn't."

"Do you want me to flash you?" Naruto inquired and rolled his eyes.

"...or you could finally fuck me" Uchiha muttered, still draped on the blonde's shoulders. They were eventually able to reach Sasuke's room. The blonde leaned over the bed, and dropped the other man onto it.

"You're such a romantic. I'm flattered."

"Do you want me to woo you?" the brunette inquired with a lazy smile appearing slowly on his face.

"Even though I'd love to see you try, I just want to sleep. Besides, we don't even have any lube and Sai told me that it's fucking essential," Naruto replied as he was lying on the bed next to the grumpy Uchiha.

"You are trying to say that _you_ don't have any lube," Sasuke corrected him.

"...I won't believe that you went out of your way and bought one," Uzumaki answered and laughed into the pillow.

"I didn't. The fact that I'm a virgin doesn't imply that I've never had anything in my ass," the brunette retorted, visibly offended by something.

"So you're basically saying that you have a dildo hidden somewhere in here," Naruto stated. Somehow, he didn't feel sleepy anymore. The thought of Sasuke playing with a dildo was strangely exciting. His heart started to pound loudly in his chest.

"I might have a vibrator. What of it?" the brunette answered nonchalantly, and Uzumaki had to mentally slap himself across the face. He wasn't going to lose to the sly bastard.

"Nothing." _Is it big? How do you put it in yourself? Can I do it?_

"Then why are you having trouble breathing?" Sasuke inquired and smirked.

"Because I had to carry you downstairs," the blonde lied unconvincingly. Uchiha was now lying on his side, facing him and watching him with one of his perfect eyebrows raised, mocking him.

"I can show it to you if you really want me to," he proposed innocently. Naruto noticed that his face was slightly flushed but apart from it his expression was ideally neutral. He gulped loudly.

"There's no need to." _Please, do_. _Show me, how you use it_.

"I'm pretty sure that this pillow didn't offend you in any way," the brunette noticed, touching Uzumaki's hand which was tightly squeezing the poor cushion. "Maybe it would be easier for you to breath if you weren't lying on your stomach," he advised. Naruto started to mentally count to ten. He was feeling uncomfortable, his erection pressed to the mattress to the point when it started being painful. Sasuke's hand somehow found a way under his shirt, and one of his fingers was tracing the line of his spine. Uzumaki didn't expect this and he wasn't able to hold the quiet moan that escaped his lips. He didn't have to look at Uchiha to know that the damn bastard was smiling.

His lips clashed against Sasuke's, making the other man gasp in a shock, and then Naruto faced the brunette, making him lie on his back, and climbed between his legs, pressing their erected penises against one another. Uchiha moaned with enjoyment.

"See, I wooed you," he panted in between kisses.

"You can choose your prize later," Naruto replied and took off his shirt. He noticed that the brunette's eyes widened in what he believed to be awe. He tensed his muscles, showing off, and Sasuke chuckled at that. Uzumaki frowned, his pride slightly hurt, and undressed himself completely. Then took off Uchiha's clothes. The man's body was damn near perfect. _Now what do I do?_

"It _does_ look nice," Sasuke commented, and Naruto blushed. "What are you going to do now?" he asked, his voice cocky, and his breath erratic.

"I don't know, it's your ass. What do you want me to do with it?"

Uchiha's eyebrows furrowed. Then the man reached under the bed. He kept looking for something with his hand, and eventually, showed Naruto a lube and a condom. The blonde obediently put on the rubber, and spilled some of the lube on his fingers. Then he reached in between the brunette's buttocks, and pressed against what he believed to be Sasuke's anus. His finger slid into it, and he could feel Sasuke's muscles closing on it. Just the fingertip was inside. He tried to move it, and push it further. Uchiha's breath became faster.

"Do you want me to continue?" Naruto inquired.

"Yeah," the brunette replied in eruptions of syllables. "You may want to use more lube, though."

"All right," Uzumaki agreed, and poured some more onto his finger, which was still inside of Sasuke. The cold liquid send shivers through the brunette's slim thighs. He pushed his finger further in, and it was eventually completely engulfed by the other man. Naruto had to admit that having sex with women was way more intuitive. He tried to put another finger into the man's anus, formerly covering it with the lube. It felt incredibly tight inside. He wasn't exactly able to imagine how exactly was he to stick his penis in there.

Sasuke moaned quietly. His black eyes started to get foggy, and his face seemed unnaturally relaxed. Naruto wished he could already enter the other man. His length was throbbing with arousal, and Uchiha's bed face didn't make it easy for him to restrain himself. He had already two of his fingers inside of the brunette. He kept on adding more, and more lube, and now it felt pleasantly slippery inside. _Is this the right moment?_

"You can enter me now," Sasuke panted. Naruto retracted his fingers, and lowered himself, feeling the head of his penis sliding over the moistened anus. He pressed delicately, not wanting to hurt the other male. He was afraid that if he was to fuck up something now, he might not get another chance to make up for it. Finally, the head of his penis was inside of Uchiha.

"Fuck, you're tight," the blonde whispered, gasping for air. It felt too good. He could also feel Sasuke's cock on his stomach. It had to produce some precum since it was kind of moist. Naruto pushed deeper, and eventually his whole dick was inside. The brunette whined quietly. "Does it hurt?"

"N...no," Uchiha muttered.

Naruto started to move slowly, now completely able to enjoy the sensation. His penis was buried in the man he loved, and it felt wonderfully tight and hot. The brunette swayed his hips delicately, and his legs were spread apart. Uzumaki was supporting himself with his forearms, and Sasuke's hand was resting on the nape of his neck. He kissed the other man lovingly, trying to memorize every detail-the exact temperature of Uchiha's body, the wetness of his smooth skin, and how his anus was tightening around Naruto's cock with every slow thrust. The blonde savored the feeling. He was sucking on Sasuke's bottom lip, biting it delicately. The brunette must had liked this because his breath became even faster.

His thrusts became faster and he wished for Uchiha to cum as soon as possible since he wasn't sure how much longer could he sustain himself from orgasming. He never had this problem before, and it was a welcomed change but at the same time he didn't want the other male to think that he was hopeless when it came to sex. The tension was building up in his abdomen, and he was more than happy when he felt Sasuke's hot semen hitting his stomach, and the brunette's spasming anus muscle made him come moments later.

He lay down on top of the brunette, resting. Their bodies were sweaty and almost unpleasantly hot. He could feel his penis sliding out from the Uchiha, and he smiled to himself. Sasuke embraced him tightly, his breath still uneven.

"Well, that was… I liked it," Naruto confessed, and brushed his lips against the brunette's cheek.

"...yeah," he agreed quietly, and yawned.

"You promised me pancakes," Uzumaki complained and poked Sasuke in the forehead.

"Fuck pancakes," Uchiha decided, and turned to side, making Naruto move away from his place between the brunette's legs. The blonde took off the condom and threw it away from the bed.

"You're _not_ going to sleep now, right? We have like one hour left…"

"Don't flatter yourself, it's more like an hour and a half," the brunette pointed out. Naruto huffed in annoyance.

"It's not _this_ easy, you know," he whined, silently agreeing to the fact that the goddamn bastard finally decided that the nighttime was meant for sleeping.

"I've told you I liked this," Sasuke asserted. "But I _can_ treat it as a challenge, if you want me to."

"Fuck you."

"You just did," Uchiha whispered, and Naruto was certain that the bastard was smirking.

* * *

><p>Naruto wasn't able to fall asleep after the intercourse, he was just lying in bed and listening to the other man quiet snores. He wondered if Sasuke will be still happy about the sex in the morning. From what he knew he could expect that the brunette will decide that it 'wasn't a good idea.' Uzumaki regretted the fact that he wasn't able to suppress his urges. He didn't even know how will he talk with the other man in case he feels violated. For some reasons the hour between the intercourse and the oncoming clock alarm felt as if it was a borrowed time. He embraced Sasuke delicately, trying to not wake him up. His body was warm, and he was still naked-just like Naruto. It felt intimate.<p>

"What is it?" Uchiha mumbled sleepily.

"...nothing. Sleep, you still have at least half an hour before we have to wake up."

"Why aren't _you_ sleeping?"

"...how do you feel?" the blonde inquired in a low voice.

"Good, why?"

"...we _can_ pack and unpack those boxes upstairs, but this thing we can't undo."

"...I know," Sasuke whispered and turned so he could face his partner. His eyes were reflecting the dawn. "Do you feel bad about it?"

"I will if you start to," he confessed.

"I can't promise you that I won't," Uchiha admitted. "But for the majority of time I'll feel good with it, so don't bother yourself."

"...then what I should I do when you're not feeling good with it?"

"It's not like there's a manual on how to handle me," Sasuke said and smiled apologetically. "But just wait it out, it seems to be working."

"I don't want to wait another four years," he complained and Uchiha frowned.

"It'll be just a couple of hours… and those four years were your fault," the brunette added. Naruto felt somewhat guilty. He _did_ try to reach out to the other man during those years but he was the one who ignored Sasuke first.

"See, you were always the cooler one," he stated and grinned wildly.

"...what do you mean?"

"I don't know, man, you were always saving my sorry ass. No wonder people were calling me your princess," he chuckled.

"...princess?" Sasuke inquired in a weird voice.

"...you've never really talked with the technicians, huh?"

"Why would I talk with them?"

"Because we were hanging out together _all_ the time?" Naruto suggested.

"_You_ were hanging out with them. I was your and Sakura's plus one."

"Whatever. They used to joke that you were my knight in shining armor because I'd always fuck up something. And then you'd come and fix everything. I swear to gods that I was always hoping that you'd need my help at least once," the blonde admitted.

"I needed it," Sasuke pointed out.

"Yeah, right. You were Mr. Perfect," he huffed. The brunette closed his eyes slowly and exhaled loudly. Uzumaki observed him closely, wondering what was wrong.

"It doesn't matter now," the man decided and got up from bed. Naruto studied his lean body, admiring his small ass and beautiful back. He hated the scars that were covering almost half of it or, rather, he hated the man that caused them.

"...what doesn't matter now?"

"Nothing, forget it. I promised you pancakes," Uchiha said quietly and put on his pajamas.

Sasuke went into the kitchen, and the blonde dressed up and followed him shortly afterwards. The brunette took some eggs and milk out of fridge, flour and cooking oil from one of the cabinets, and mixed all of the ingredients skillfully. He put the pan on the oven so it would heat up, and added some salt to the pancakes mixture. Naruto couldn't help but smile at all these preparations. He never had anyone actually cook for him. Whenever he was with Sakura, they would just order food, and he never was close enough with anyone else to even worry about eating. He was sitting by the kitchen table and looking at Sasuke, who was flipping the pancakes in the air.

"You're pretty good with it," the blonde noticed.

"It's not this difficult."

"It looks kind of cool, though," he said and laughed. Uchiha turned his head towards him and returned the smile.

"You're not very princessy."

"But now we're a royal couple," Naruto stated, and for a short moment Sasuke evidently didn't know what he was getting at. Then he sighed and returned his gaze to the pan.

"Is _this_ how I've became the prince?" he inquired, and flipped another pancake.

"Oh no, actually mine came after yours."

"That's even worse, I guess."

"Yeah, it didn't make much sense. If you were a _gay_ prince then why would you need a princess?" Uzumaki questioned jokingly. "I'm still not sure how in the heaven were you able to not know that. Like, almost during every party there came a moment when Kiba would tell me that I have to take care of my gay prince," he mused.

"I was probably too drunk to remember that," Sasuke suggested, and sat in front of the blonde, handing him a plate with pancakes.

"You were usually unconscious," Uzumaki agreed. "You used to drink _way_ too much. But you make pretty awesome pancakes," he added, his mouth full.

"Not princessy at all," the brunette decided.

"Man, you threw up on me at least five times. That's not prince-like behavior either."

"I did?" Uchiha inquired, clearly embarrassed.

"Yeah. Like, for example, when Ino's parents were out, and she threw a party? And you passed out it the middle of it, and, you actually passed out on me? But then, after an hour or so, you woke up and just threw up?" Naruto reminisced, smiling softly. "And Ino was screaming things about her mother's couch, and I didn't want her to get into trouble, so I…"

"Enough," Sasuke decided. He left the bigger part of his pancake uneaten. The blonde felt somewhat guilty about it but for him the memory was _still_ a rather pleasant one. The image of drunk Uchiha lying his head on Naruto's lap and falling asleep was practically burned into his mind.

* * *

><p>At first he felt as if the other man was a cute puppy-the women gathered around him, and were stroking his sleeping companion's hair. Kiba wanted to draw a dick on the brunette's face, and Uzumaki didn't let him because he was afraid that the man might get angry at him. Finally, they got bored with sleeping Sasuke, and Naruto did his best to not look as if it meant anything to him. He had to agree with Sakura and Ino-his friend definitely <em>was<em> an eye candy. And he didn't even look like himself when he wasn't frowning with disdain. His face was almost angelic. He heard someone clink his glass, and raised his eyes only to see Shino, who smiled at him knowingly and raised his eyebrow. The blonde's cheeks became red, and he would probably try to say something funny so it wouldn't seem as he was gaping at the Uchiha, but Uchiha himself decided to become the much needed distraction by waking up, raising his head and emptying his stomach on Naruto's lap.

The blonde's first reaction was to push him away, but Ino started to scream that her mother was going to kill her if something happened to her favorite white couch so Uzumaki quietly put his legs together, and held Sasuke's head near his chest, cursing the fact that he thought that going out with him before the party and eating a goddamn kebab was a good idea. When the brunette finished, Naruto felt violated. He muttered that Ino owes him a big time, and if it wasn't for Sakura, who grabbed some paper towels and cleaned the blonde, he… he didn't even know what he would do. Haruno brought the brunette into the bathroom and sat there with him for some time.

Uzumaki quietly suffered through Kiba's laugh attack, and then followed his teammates. Sasuke was sitting on the ground, his back resting against the wall near the toilet, and the woman was cleaning his face off with some towel.

"Still in love with him?" the blonde asked jokingly and took off his dirty shirt. Sakura blushed heavily, and Naruto didn't know what had caused it. Sometimes he liked to think that she did it because she saw him seminaked. Sometimes he complied with the fact that it was only because her crush did something embarrassing.

"Not your business, jerk," she replied. "Don't just fucking undress, that's gross!" she shouted, and left the two men alone in the bathroom the moment she noticed that Uzumaki was taking his pants off, too. Sasuke mumbled something inaudibly, and started to vomit again. He didn't even change his position, so it landed on his shirt.

"Well, that's just gross," Naruto decided, and corrected the other man's position in such a way that he would throw up into the toilet. Then he undressed completely, put his clothes into the washer, and, after a while, took off Sasuke's shirt too, and put it for washing. Then he took a shower. Every now and then he could hear the other man spasming when there was nothing more to vomit with. He felt kind of sorry for him. After some time, he heard knocking on the doors, so he left the steamy cabin, wrapped a towel around his hips, and opened the doors to see Ino, who looked distressed.

"How's the couch?" he inquired, hoping that his sacrifice was not in vain.

"It's all right, thank you," she answered and smiled at him sincerely. He never noticed how beautiful the woman was. He would still argue that Sakura was far prettier, but she definitely _was_ something. "How is he? Did he destroy anything?"

"No, he's rather obedient."

"Why isn't he wearing any shirt?" Yamanaka asked, and Naruto could hear other women repeating 'what, no shirt?!' and running towards the bathroom. He rolled his eyes. He didn't feel so sorry for the bastard anymore. If Naruto was to pull such a stunt he doubted that any woman would still want to touch him.

"His aim isn't the best. I put it all into the washer just like you told me."

"Oh, great. I would give you my father's clothes but if my parents were to find out that I threw a party, they would fucking kill me," she explained, and looked at him apologetically.

"No problem," he replied. Well, it actually _was_ a problem. He wasn't the shyest guy in the block but wearing nothing but a towel and still partying was beyond his limits. Sakura and some other girls appeared, trying to see something over Ino's shoulder, and Naruto was feeling particularly nastily, so he blocked their view on the brunette.

" Party's over," the blond woman decided, and everyone but Uzumaki whined with dissatisfaction. People started to leave, and Naruto went back to Sasuke, who was apparently sleeping soundly.

"You've ruined the party," the blonde complained even though Uchiha couldn't hear him. Ino returned.

"I need to use the restroom," she muttered, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, sure," he said and started to leave to room.

"...what about him?"

"He's completely wasted," Naruto explained. "But I guess I can take him with me," he added, seeing the look on the other blonde's face. He kneeled in front of the brunette, and shook him. Sasuke whined in his sleep, and Uzumaki felt that the towel he was covering himself with was untying. He huffed with irritation, and held it with one hand. Then he made the other man stand up-though he was practically leaning over him-and walked him out of the room.

He headed towards Ino's rom. He liked it a lot-one could see that this was the room she grew up in. Most of the floor was covered in clothing, bags, jewelry, and fashion magazines, but there were some plushies on the bed, and the wardrobe doors had some silly posters on them. Naruto put Sasuke on Ino's bed, hoping that he won't throw up again, and sat down next to him. The brunette curled around him, and Uzumaki could feel the heat radiating from Sasuke's belly in his bottom area. He wasn't sure what to do with it. If anyone saw them, it would be quite difficult to explain. Because how was he to argue that his penis was partially erect only because other body's warmth was _always_ nice? He poked Sasuke's cheek with his index finger. It was softer than he expected.

"You can't do this," he stated firmly, and moved away from the brunette, deciding that sitting on a chair was also an option. Ino returned a while later, dressed in extremely short sleeping pants, and Naruto felt almost forced to gulp when he saw her long legs.

"I put your clothes into the dryer," she said, and sat next to Sasuke. He reached for something with his hand, and when she grabbed it with her own, Naruto felt jealous. Uchiha studied her hand with his long fingers, and rejected it. She smiled warmly. "I think he might be gay for you," she said.

"He's not," Uzumaki objected. "We're bros," he assured her.

"Even Kiba thinks he's gay, and he's not especially bright," she whispered. "It's a shame, of course," she added. "Sakura's going to be a total bitch about it."

"And you won't?" he inquired, completely disregarding the notion that Sasuke might be gay. He didn't want to think about it, and how their friendship would have to transform. It would become awkward.

"Sasuke is, of course, hot, but I'm just messing with her. I wouldn't want to actually _date_ him, he's a total jerk."

"He is," Naruto agreed, happy that someone finally shares his opinions.

"And you're not _such_ a loser as she claims you to be."

"Oh, gee, thanks," he muttered.

"I'd do you," she decided. "But your gay prince vomited on you and that was totally gross," she added and lay down on the bed.

Uzumaki laughed. When he first saw the brunette, he thought that he would make a pretty good wingman. The women would flock to him naturally, and since he wasn't a ladies' guy, Naruto would be able to woo them. Obviously, he was completely wrong. Sasuke was telling each and every unknown woman to fuck off, and now he was even able to ruin his chances with Ino. That was just absurd.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****I have to agree that Naruto screwed up more than Sasuke when it comes to their parting. But I'm not so sure that Sasuke's _trusting_ him. He doesn't tell Naruto at least half of the stuff he knows. I actually addressed the problem of Naruto's ignoring Sasuke in chapters 8 and 11. I will return to it, of course.**

**Thank you for all of your reviews! They're making me rethink some of the concepts, and, frankly, the thing you're reading right now, and the thing that I planned to write stopped resembling one another. My original idea was _much_ shorter. I'd be done by now. And now I think that I'm not even half-done with it.**


	11. The Basement

**A/N: To those, who are already reading the story-I'm sorry. I've decided to, umm, organize this whole fic again, and by organizing it I mean fucking it up completely. So, what I did was that I linked some of the chapters together, so now, instead of having 24 chapters (and at least 15 more in mind), I have now 11. Because I realized that the number of chapters might be a little bit intimidating for new readers. Plus, one of the first chapters was like 1,000 words long and it was pathetic. So, if you're lost and you want to resume reading from the moment you've stopped, this is how the chapters are organized now:**

**1. Changes (chap 1 + chap 2)**

**2. Coming Back (3+4+5)**

**3. Tomorrow (6+7+8)**

**4. Demons (9+10+11)**

**5. Halloween**

**6. The Truth (13+14+15)**

**7. Diagnosis (16+17)**

**8. Coming Out (18+19)**

**9. Home (20+21)**

**10. Pancakes (22+23)**

**11. The Basement**

**Yup. I'm hopeless. **

* * *

><p>Their day at work was rather busy. Neji gave them yesterday photos, and Sasuke was glad that his assumptions about Naruto not being jealous were correct. Sakura looked at the brunette with worried eyes-this was the first time she saw his stains, and Uchiha could tell that she didn't like them. She massaged his shoulders, and talked nonsense for almost an hour. She probably meant well but he didn't like to be constantly reminded about how bad did the scars look. The blonde simply kissed him and told him that the pictures were amazing.<p>

When the two men went home, they started to clean up the rooms upstairs since Sasuke once again decided that redecorating the house was a good idea. After an hour, the rooms were filled with boxes and unneeded furniture.

"Do you have any idea where we might hide these things?" Naruto inquired. He was obviously happy, and the brunette was grateful that Uzumaki still wanted to help him-Sasuke probably wouldn't be able to do all of this on his own, and he knew for a fact that the blonde was tired as hell. He almost didn't sleep last night, he went to work, and now he was also helping Uchiha. He definitely had a lot of stamina.

"We might check out the basement," Sasuke suggested. "I wasn't there for the last five or six years, though," he added. "So it's probably covered in cobweb."

"I'm starting to think that we should've started with the basement," Naruto replied and chuckled.

"It _is_ possible," he agreed.

When they reached the basement, they found out that it really _was_ covered in cobwebs and dust. It was also cluttered with even more boxes, old furniture and some of his mother's equipment.

"So… what are we doing with _these_ boxes?" Uzumaki inquired. His voice revealed that he already knew the answer.

"I suppose we have to know what's in them?" Uchiha muttered. There was no way that they would be able to finish everything by the end of the weekend. Naruto sighed, smiled and ruffled his hair.

"After we're done with looking through all of these stuff we might ask people to help us out with painting," he said. "Sakura would be more than happy to help."

"She probably has better things to do," Sasuke objected. He felt bad enough about making Naruto help him. He didn't want to bother other people. They started to unpack the boxes. In the one that Sasuke opened there was a sewing kit, fabrics, and ribbons. Nothing important.

"If she knew that we were renovating this thing, she would already be here with complete designs for the whole house."

"I doubt that."

"Sasuke, if I'd called her now, she would be here in three hours tops, and she would probably bring a repair crew with her."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"She helped me redesign my apartment. And she was with me whenever I had to buy anything for the house. Like, I didn't even know that I needed something but then she would appear out of nowhere and say that I needed more glasses or shit like that. And then she would force me to go to the store and buy it. And I wasn't even allowed to buy the ones I liked."

"That was probably for the best." he mocked the other man who pouted his lips at him in what the brunette believed to be irritation. "We might call her later, if you really think that she'd like to help," Sasuke agreed.

"Umm…"

"What is it?" the brunette asked and yawned. He also didn't sleep well lately.

"I think I've found Itachi's nudes?" Naruto said quietly. He was blushing like a preteen. Uchiha snapped up the photos from his hands. Then his blood froze, and he gulped loudly.

"...this isn't Itachi," he murmured. The pictures were practically porn-the man was bent over, and he was spreading his anus with long fingers. His face looked fatigued. "That's my cousin," he added. He couldn't understand this. "But why would we have these photos in our house?" he mused. He cleared his throat. In the next photo his cousin was lying on a bed, his legs spread apart; he was playing with his dick. Sasuke didn't feel too well. He put the pictures on the ground, and massaged his temples.

"Maybe he was modeling for your mother?" Naruto suggested but he didn't sound as if he was believing in it.

"These are way too shitty to be made by my mother," Uchiha objected. He covered his mouth and nose. His stomach felt heavy. "They were made by an amateur."

"Maybe she wanted them to look that way?" the blonde put forward.

"No, her style was completely different. And while I believe that my cousin was already legal at the time the photos were taken, it's still..." he muttered. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows and picked up the snapshots. He scanned through them, and his face was looking more troubled with every single one he saw.

"You could always ask this cousin of yours about it," he proposed awkwardly.

"I can't, he's dead," the brunette confessed. "He killed himself. And from what I think-he killed himself around the time these photos were taken," he explained. That was sick. "My mother decided that I need to visit a psychiatrist after she learned that Shisui committed suicide."

"Shisui?"

"That's his name," he clarified. "Why are these photos in here?"

Naruto looked through the box in which he found the pictures, and showed Uchiha other things that were in it. They were plain Christmas decorations. Nothing that would explain _why_ the photos were there.

"Maybe he made them himself? Or these are just photo manipulations?"

"Why would you manipulate something so shitty?!" Sasuke bellowed. He got up, and rummaged through big framed photographs that were resting against one of the walls. Then he raised one of them so Naruto could see it. "See, this is my mother's work."

The blonde's cheeks were tinted in deep red.

"Yeah, this _is_ your mother. Now please, put it away."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, it used to hang in our living room," Uchiha complained. "Stop pretending you're prude."

"...that's your naked mother in a spread eagle position. I admit, this is done way better than the photos of your cousin. Now _put it away_."

"Is this troubling you?!" Sasuke hissed angrily.

"Well, I didn't plan to see all of your family members naked in one evening," he stuttered and looked away. The brunette put away the photo.

"You'd like to fuck my _mother_," he realized and approached the blonde who cleared his throat. He was evidently embarrassed.

"No, I wouldn't. She's your goddamn mother," Uzumaki objected.

"Then what's _this_?" he inquired and put his foot on Naruto's crotch. He definitely had a hard-on.

"You can't just shove something like this in my face and expect me to not react at all," the blonde tried to explain himself. Sasuke got angry, and pressed his foot harder. Naruto moaned with pain, and Uchiha pushed him onto the floor. The other man was now lying on his back, his breath erratic, and his eyes closed. His expression could be described as a state between an utter shame and pleasure.

"You might be the one that needs to visit a psychiatrist," Sasuke decided and massaged the blonde's boner with his foot. It was insanely hard. "They could probably write a whole book on you," he added with disdain.

"...yeah, and they could fill a fucking library with theories on what _you_ are doing right now," Naruto panted. Then he grabbed Sasuke by the ankle and forced him to move his leg away from the blonde's crotch area. Uchiha huffed with annoyance. He got even more irritated when he noticed that his own penis also decided to react to the blonde's panting. "Maybe these photos were made by your brother," Naruto whispered unexpectedly. The brunette's eyes widened in shock.

"Why on earth would he do something like this?"

"You think that he might have killed your parents," the man pointed out. His breath was still heavy. "Fucking your cousin doesn't seem like such a big crime now."

"Fuck you, I don't even know why I bother myself with your shit," the brunette muttered and turned away, ready to leave the basement, the house, the city, and, generally, the world. He was tired of it all.

"Just hear me out," Uzumaki pleaded. "What if he made these photos and your parents found them?"

"He would be in deep shit. And he _wasn't_. They didn't find them, and he didn't make them."

"Did _you_ make them?"

"I hope that you meant it as a rhetorical question." Sasuke hissed angrily.

"Then we are left with your father," the blonde started arguing, and Uchiha boiled with anger. He lowered himself and slapped Naruto in the face. He could feel Uzumaki's teeth and chin bones with his cold fingers. He could feel the cheek swelling up and becoming hotter. The tissue under his skin was getting harder. The blue eyes looked at him sharply, and the brunette started to feel guilty. He didn't mean to do this.

"I…" he whispered awkwardly, trying to collect his thoughts and make a proper sentence. His mind was failing him.

"Sasuke, I'll forgive you this one time but don't expect me to do this again," the blonde murmured, and put Uchiha's hand away from his face. The cheek was red and puffy. "Really, I can put up with a lot of shit but hitting me is crossing the line," he added. The brunette lowered his gaze and fixed his eyes on the photos scattered on the floor near Naruto. They were disgusting. He kneeled and rested his head on the blonde's stomach. The whole room was swaying, and the lights seemed to flicker. "Are you all right?" his boyfriend questioned gently, and Sasuke could feel a warm hand touching his forehead. He was pretty sure that he didn't deserve to be treated this way after what he just did.

"It doesn't make sense," he complained. "None of this does."

"...I know," Uzumaki agreed. "And I guess that this must be hard for you," he whispered and rubbed the brunette's scalp in a soothing manner. "But you _do_ realize that these photos had to belong to one of your family members. And since we've ruled out your mother and you, we're left with…"

"Stop," Sasuke begged, his voice breaking. He felt sick. He didn't want to think or talk about it right now. He wasn't ready to accept the fact that his family wasn't fucking perfect. He used to feel like its black sheep, like its biggest failure, as if he was always letting all of them down. He wasn't as good as Itachi, when it came to sports or school-his brother excelled in every possible field. He didn't have Mikoto's talent or Fugaku's brains. He was nothing compared to them. And now it seemed as if one of them was involved in incest. He slowly lifted his eyelids and looked at the picture of naked Shisui. Then he noticed something. His stomach twisted wildly, his mouth filled with unwanted saliva, and his throat felt as if a noose was tightening around it. He quickly lifted his head and vomited next to where Naruto was lying. The blonde got up and placed himself behind Sasuke's back, trying to collect the dark strands of hair from the brunette's face. Another spasm went through the taller man's body. Disgusting liquid hit the ground, and splattered on some of the photos, soaking them.

"Wanna lay down?" Uzumaki inquired. Sasuke could hear the worry in his voice. He breathed loudly, trying to calm his stomach.

"No," he finally stuttered and got up, wiping his mouth with sleeve. "Wait for me upstairs, I'll clean this up and join you in a moment," he promised.

"I'll help you out," the blonde offered and went to get a bowl with hot water and a rag, with which they had cleaned some of the basement shelves. Uchiha watched as the other man started to clean up his vomit; he felt ashamed.

"Let me do this," he said and grabbed the rag. He carefully wiped each and every photo. "These were made in my room," he whispered, trying to hide how shaken he was because of this little discovery.

"Wha…" Uzumaki gasped, and snatched some of the photos, studying them closely. "...you're right," he realized in a grave tone. "Why…"

"I don't know why," Sasuke interrupted the other man, and sat down on the floor again. He massaged his eyelids with fingers. "You might be right about Itachi," he admitted unwillingly.

"Let's leave this house for a while," Naruto proposed. Uchiha shook his head. It wouldn't help anything. He'd still have to come back here.

"Shisui used to spend holidays with us," he began. "One month during Summer. He would usually sleep in the guest room but I've always heard him and Itachi sneak out of the house during the night. They would come back in the morning, and Itachi used to give me money to keep me out of the house whenever my parents weren't home. I've always thought that they just wanted to smoke weed or something," he muttered. One time he got grounded by his parents because his room apparently reeked of grass. When he claimed that it was Itachi's doing, his parents didn't believe him, and his brother stopped talking to him for a month or so.

"So they practically ditched you whenever they could?"

"I was over four years younger, and that's a lot among siblings," Sasuke explained patiently. "But whenever my parents were home or we were to go on a trip, or whatever, Shisui would usually ignore Itachi and pay all of his attention to me."

"And it never bothered you?"

"Naruto, when you're a kid and someone who you consider an adult is talking with you, you don't really think about _why _he's doing it, you're too busy thinking that you're cool," Uchiha said. He felt stupid. "And when I got older I simply assumed that Shisui wanted my parents to believe that I wasn't a complete loser without friends so…"

"It's hard to believe that you didn't have any friends," the blonde interrupted him. Sasuke didn't like his former self or, generally, he didn't like himself. Making friends wasn't something he was good at. He didn't care about people he didn't know and he wasn't patient enough to endure the mundane process of getting to know these people.

"I don't have many friends now neither," Uchiha pointed out. "And it's not like I need them," he added. Sometimes he felt jealous of Naruto's social circle but more often he thought that it would be tiresome.

"So Shisui and Itachi spent a lot of time together?"

"Yes."

"Then…"

"I guess so," Sasuke agreed to what Naruto didn't say out loud. The thought was sickening but it was nevertheless possible. "Why would he make these photos, though? He's too smart to do something this stupid."

"Maybe he wanted to blackmail your cousin?" the blonde suggested.

"So you think that he's responsible for another death," Uchiha summed up and sighed heavily. He grew up admiring his brother but it appeared now that he didn't know Itachi at all.

"It sounds like him," the man pointed out, and Sasuke couldn't help but agree with his partner.

"Then what are these photos doing together with Christmas decorations?"

"He probably hid them here."

"It doesn't make sense. My mother would eventually find them."

"Maybe he meant to hide them here just for a while? Like, he was looking for a better place but he forgot and left them here?"

"He wouldn't forget something like this. And he had plenty of time to replace them or even destroy them."

"He forgot about the key," Naruto noticed. "Maybe he's not as smart as you think he is."

"Even Shikamaru thinks he's smart."

"Yeah, we could ask him about it. He'll probably come up with something," the blonde realized and smiled widely. Sasuke frowned.

"So you think that I should call Shikamaru and tell him that I believe that my brother was having an affair with my cousin?"

"He's your lawyer, he won't tell anyone." Uchiha was tired of things he shouldn't be telling about. His whole existence seemed to be tightly wrapped in shame.

"Perhaps it doesn't matter anymore. And I think that he has enough reasons to think that I'm a complete nutcase as it is."

"You're not a complete nutcase," Uzumaki objected and hugged the other man softly, patting him on the back. The brunette hissed with pain. "Oh, right, scars. Sorry," he apologized.

"He's pregnant," Sasuke blurted out.

"...what?"

"I mean… his wife is pregnant. He wanted me to tell you this," he muttered.

"Well, that's great," Naruto said. "But even if it doesn't matter anymore, he should still learn about these photos. He's not going to use them if they're not relevant."

"...shouldn't you be more excited?"

"...about what?"

"That he's going to have a child," Sasuke whispered.

"Why would I be? I mean, that's great and all, and I'll call him and congratulate him, and, you know, I plan on being a good friend."

"I've always assumed that you'd want a family of your own," Uchiha confessed.

"I do but I'm way too young for this," Naruto laughed. The brunette realized that Uzumaki probably just wanted to mess around with him for a while, and then he'd dump him whenever he feels like it's a good moment to start reproducing. He sighed internally. He was always fully aware of the fact that this little stupid relationship won't last long. He just didn't like to hear it. "You still need to tell Shikamaru about this. Stop changing topic."

"...fine," Sasuke agreed and rested his head on the blonde's shoulder. It pained him to know that the thing they had had no reason to exist. "I'm sorry I've hit you," he apologized. Uzumaki's cheek was still swollen, and the normally brownish skin was red.

"Yeah, you have a pretty heavy hand," Naruto laughed inappropriately and rubbed his face. "I wouldn't have guessed that a goddamn bitchslap may hurt so much," he added.

"Would you prefer it if I used my fist?" Sasuke inquired, somewhat offended.

"Fuck no, I might have ended up without teeth. But seriously, though-don't do it again."

"Then don't insinuate that my father fucked my cousin," he growled.

"Sorry, it's not like I know what to do in a situation like this. It's pretty surreal, you know."

"...stop offending my family," the brunette pleaded. He didn't need another person judging the Uchihas. It was difficult enough as it was. "You've showed no respect towards my mother…"

"I think that your mother is a lovely lady," Naruto stopped him mid-sentence. "And she's definitely a very skilled photographer. But when you showed me the picture, I didn't immediately realize that your mother was also the model, I mean, you've just said that it was her work."

"It doesn't change the fact that it gave you a fucking boner."

"I'll admit that I _reacted_ to it but actually _you_ were the one that gave me the boner. You look kinda hot when you're angry. You'd make one hell of a dominatrix" Sasuke blinked his eyes, not believing what he had just heard.

"Dominatrix is a _woman_," he corrected the other man automatically, still trying to digest the bullshit Naruto supplied him with.

"...oh. Anyways, I respect your mother a lot. As an artist, and as your mother. Seeing her like this was definitely awkward as hell but…"

"...and you've accused my father of fucking my cousin…" Uchiha interrupted him.

"I _didn't_. I was just trying to argue that the only person that could've done something like this was your brother," the blonde complained. "The other part of my sentence was supposed to be 'but that's not very likely.'"

"...and you didn't even think twice before saying that my brother could be into incest."

"Are you going to defend that bastard as well?" Naruto huffed with annoyance.

"That bastard is also my family."

"You _hate_ him."

"And I've used to worship the ground he was walking on," the brunette uttered. Uzumaki looked at him with troubled eyes.

"Sasuke, I may not be the best person to discuss family matters with," he admitted. "I've never knew anyone that would be related to me, and when I first heard about my parents, I was technically already an adult."

"You will never understand," Uchiha accused him. He didn't mean for these words to sound so harsh but they did. Naruto sighed, and lowered his blue eyes in defeat.

"It's possible that I won't," he agreed. "But I'm trying to."

"Trying doesn't solve anything," Sasuke hissed.

"I know… there are people that I consider as my close ones, and if I were to imagine that one of them were like Itachi…"

"Good to know that I'm helping you develop your fucking imagination."

"It's not like this, and you know it," Uzumaki objected. The brunette was confused. Nothing was how he believed it to be. There was no-one he could trust, and there was no-one that would be able to fully understand him. "If you did what your brother did… I believe that I would still love you. It would just hurt a lot."

Sasuke studied other man's face closely. He touched his throat with hand, his fingers embracing the neck. It seemed so vulnerable.

"You'll never know what it's like," he declared. He knew that he didn't really want Naruto to _know_ what it was like. He pressed his finger against his partner's Adam's apple. It felt hard, and the dark skin that was covering it was rough in touch.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "I can't relate to you or your experiences. I never meant to say anything that would hurt you, if it means anything," he asserted.

"...stop doing that."

"...doing what?"

"Stop pretending that you care," he whimpered. _I might start believing in it._

"But I _do_ care. I thought you knew. I've told you that I love you."

"It's not possible to fall in love with someone over the course of a few days that we've spent together," he bellowed angrily.

"It wasn't few days, it was six fucking years," the blonde retorted, his voice irritated.

"So now you claim that you've loved me since fucking always," Uchiha growled and clenched his fists. His nails were hurting the insides of his hands.

"Maybe not _always_ but long enough," Naruto replied, observing Sasuke's trembling fists. The blonde's body tensed as if it was getting ready to defend itself. The brunette unclenched his fists, and put his hands on knees, squeezing them tightly.

"You've abandoned me," he yelled. His eyes welled up with tears, and Uchiha didn't even care about it anymore. "I've needed you and you left me alone," he roared. Hot, salty tears were falling down his face. The blonde looked as if something pierced through his heart. He reached out to Sasuke, trying to grab his shoulders and embrace him but the brunette catched him by the wrists, and held him at distance. Naruto didn't force himself anymore. "And what was your fucking reason for that?!" Uchiha didn't stop his tirade. "Because I touched your fucking dick. And _you_'ve made me touch it. You left me alone because you…" Sasuke tried to continue but he couldn't control his spasming body. He let go off the blonde's arms that fell down on the ground lifelessly. Uchiha covered his face with hands, smearing his stinging tears all over it. "You didn't deserve another chance," he realized, and looked sharply at Naruto through his fingers. The other man looked terrified, as if he was also on the verge of crying.

"Sasuke," he begged.

"_Stop_. Get the fuck out of my house," he ordered. "It's over," he decided. The blue eyes filled with tears.

"I can't leave you like this," he whispered in a broken voice.

"Get out of my house," Sasuke repeated.

"I'm sorry," Naruto mumbled.

"Leave or I'll call the fucking police," he threatened. The blonde started to cry and it wasn't a pretty sight. He couldn't even catch his breath and he was choking on tears. "...leave," Uchiha said. This time his voice didn't sound as certain as it did before. Uzumaki got up, and started to ascend the basement stairs slowly, as if waiting for the other man to tell him that it all was just a sick joke, and he actually wanted Naruto to stay. Sasuke looked away. He heard the doors opening and closing after his… now ex-boyfriend. Uchiha inhaled loudly. _What have I done_. He got up quickly and followed the blonde, practically jumping over the steps. He slipped and fell, landing on his wrist that started to swell up and hurt like hell. He didn't care. He raised himself using the railing, and went upstairs. He couldn't hear anything. Sasuke hoped that Naruto just stopped walking because he heard him falling down. The brunette opened the doors, and saw the tall man standing in the corridor with a troubled face.

"Stop," he panted. His left arm started getting unpleasantly hot. He ran towards the blonde and embraced him inexpertly, pulling the shorter man's head towards him, and kissing Uzumaki on the top of his head, breathing in the scent of his golden hair. "I'm sorry," he whimpered. "Don't leave me," he begged.

"I'm not going to," the blonde cried into his chest. He sobbed loudly, and Sasuke could feel his shirt getting wet. He embraced the man with his right arm, trying to not hurt his left more. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," he whispered. "For everything," he added. Naruto grabbed the brunette's shirt, as if he wasn't able to support his weight. The both of them collapsed on the floor, and Uchiha gritted his teeth in pain when his left arm was pressed against his stomach by the blonde.

"My wrist," Sasuke muttered and released it from the embrace. The blue eyes stared at it with worry.

"...we need to take you to a doctor," Uzumaki whispered, and swallowed the tears. If someone told the brunette that he was looking at a twenty-four-year-old man, he wouldn't believe it. Naruto looked almost like a child. A very big child.

"It can wait," he objected, trying to avoid looking at the ugly swollen thing.

"It can't, it could get worse if we don't do anything with it right now."

"It's just sprained," Sasuke replied. "I'll put some ice on it, and…"

"You're always pretending that you're feeling better than you really are," Naruto said accusingly. Uchiha smiled at him faintly. "I mean it. You always pretend that everything is fine, and it's _not_ fine right now, Sasuke. There's nothing degrading about admitting that you're hurt or unhappy," he sniffled.

"...are we still together?" the brunette inquired quietly. His wrist was hurting more with every second passing.

"I think so," Naruto replied and his teary eyes lit with happiness. Then he stood up and helped Uchiha stand on his own. The men headed towards kitchen, and the brunette was finally able to apply ice to the wrist. It might had eased the pain but it wasn't exactly soothing. The cold was rather unpleasant.

The blonde washed his face in the kitchen sink but it looked shitty even after this procedure. His cheek and eyes were swollen, and it was rather clear that he had cried. Sasuke imagined that he had to look similarly.

"We can't go to a doctor looking like this," he muttered.

"Why?" Naruto asked dumbfounded. The brunette smiled at him apologetically.

"We might get reported for domestic violence," he explained calmly. "Unless…" he whispered, feeling ashamed. He couldn't hide the fact that if they were to be reported for domestic abuse, it wouldn't be completely out of place.

"...right," the blonde mumbled and sat opposite of Uchiha. Then he wiped the brunette's tears with his hand. "You should probably wash your teeth," he added. "And change your shirt," he continued and smiled at the other man.

Sasuke got up from the chair and went into the bathroom. He grabbed the toothbrush with his right hand. It felt weird. Normally he would use his left arm for this. Then he had to put the toothbrush away so he could put the toothpaste on it. For a moment he wondered whether doing it while holding the brush with his mouth wouldn't be a good idea but he was afraid that the blonde might barge in into the bathroom and see him like this. The toothbrush turned over, and now the bathroom counter was dirty. He sighed with irritation.

The last time he had his wrist sprained was when he was still in elementary school. It happened because some boys from his class decided that Sasuke should be beaten up. The brunette remembered that he didn't want to tell his family that something happened or that he was in pain. If his mother didn't grab him by the wrist when he tried to hide himself in his room, she would probably never even find out about the sprained wrist. When the Uchiha came back to the school on the next day, the boys threatened him that if he was to say anything to anyone, they would beat him up again. He swore that he didn't do it, and he didn't lie. He lied to his parents when he told them that he was covered in bruises because he tipped over. When he was leaving the school, he noticed the boys and Itachi talking about something. He wanted to run there, and tell his brother that he should just leave him alone but then Itachi beat up the four boys. Sasuke was pretty much sure that it was the first nice thing that his brother had ever done for him. He wanted to thank him but when Itachi noticed him, he simply left without acknowledging him. When the younger brunette returned home, his older brother still didn't want to talk to him. In the evening their mother learned from one of the boys' mother what happened, and she got furious. She was screaming at Itachi for more than thirty minutes, and Sasuke never before had felt so guilty. His brother apologized, and agreed to repent for what he did by tending the boy's mother's garden for a month. Sasuke could swear that later in the evening he saw his father telling Itachi that he did what had to be done and that he was proud of him.

From that day on he was never bullied again. Sure, the boys still didn't like him, and the girls were still forcing themselves on him but his life became much easier. Later on he realized that beating up a bunch of kids wasn't a prideful achievement but he was still grateful for what Itachi did. Maybe their relation wasn't the best but he liked to believe that he had an older brother that would take care of him, and that was his source of comfort for many years onwards.

Sasuke sighed, awkwardly trying to clean up his teeth. It seemed so simple in his imagination-it wasn't as if he had to perform a goddamn surgery, he just wanted to brush his teeth. He heard knocking on the doors, and mumbled something incomprehensibly, letting Naruto in.

"I figured that you've damaged your dominant arm," he said. "Need any help?"

"No," Uchiha replied, his mouth full of minty bubbles. Some of it fell on his shirt. _Well, it was dirty anyways._ Then he resumed the activity, trying to look dignified.

"I'll help you," Uzumaki decided and grabbed the toothbrush that was still in Sasuke's mouth. He shut his mouth, not allowing the blonde to take it out. He waited for him to stop holding him.

"That's stupid," he said the moment he saw Naruto letting go of his toothbrush. "And I'm done anyways," he uttered and spit out the foam.

"What about your shirt?" Uzumaki questioned, and Sasuke had to give up. Taking it off like this would take him forever.

"Help me out," he agreed, and Naruto grinned at him. He felt the blonde tucking his fingers under its hem, and pulling it up.

"Stop raising your goddamn arms, will you," the man pouted, and Uchiha laughed softly. He tilted his body, allowing his partner to take the shirt off. Uzumaki probably tried to be gentle when handling the left sleeve but it still hurt. Sasuke didn't allow himself to show it-he was problematic enough as it was. When the shirt was off, and the brunette started to straighten up, the blue eyes captivated him. He couldn't understand _why_ the blonde was still there. He just knew that everything would be much more difficult if he wasn't there with him.

"Thank you," he said, and Naruto didn't pay much attention to it; he probably thought that Sasuke was thanking him for helping him out with the shirt. Uchiha smiled to himself. _Thank you for being here._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, democracy works (especially when there's only one person voting :D) and I'm writing longer chapters. This one is ~5,6 k words. I'm not sure that it's legal to put so much drama into one chapter but hey.**


	12. Brothers

Sasuke stared at Naruto, bedazzled by how the man looked in one of the brunette's scarves. His head was practically buried in it, only the blue eyes and the golden mop of hair was showing. He felt pang of guilt-the only reason why it was so was because the blonde had to hid his still swollen cheek. Uchiha swallowed the hard truth-there was another thing he had to add to the list of things he won't be able to forgive himself.

"Sasuke, stop stalling. I'm getting hot," Uzumaki complained. The brunette wished he didn't have to think about how they looked like every single time he was to leave the accursed house. The press hyenas weren't numerous right now but there was always this one guy that Sasuke could always see-as if the man wasn't sleeping at all. Sometimes he wondered whether he was even an actual human being.

"Sorry… remember to not take the scarf off before we drive away," he repeated for the umpteenth time. He didn't like doing this. It made him feel as an even bigger failure. He also hated to admit that if the press found out about what he did, he would get eaten alive first by them, and, later on, by the juries. He probably deserved this.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Naruto bellowed and grabbed his unhurt wrist, pulling him outside.

* * *

><p>The two men reached Tonton clinic, which had a signed contract with <em>Konoha<em>. The place wasn't the biggest but it was definitely fancy. Sofas in the waiting room were covered with white leather, and looked new. Everything looked new. The glass table didn't have even one dirty spot on it, and the magazines, that were left there to make waiting less annoying, were new and fresh out of press. When they went inside, a receptionist offered them coffee, and when he brought the steaming beverages a few minutes later, they were also given a plate of cookies.

"Whoa, they're really pampering us," Naruto chuckled, and bit one of the cookies.

"I don't think that anyone but you is actually eating those," Sasuke noticed, and smiled softly. "You've never been here?"

"No, I didn't need to," the blonde replied, and grabbed one of the magazines. It was colorful and its target demographic were teenage girls. "Look, there's a personality test in here!"

"I bet it was written by some expert psychologist," the brunette mocked the other man. His wrist was still hurting but he was getting used to it. He rested his head against the wall, and closed his eyes.

"I don't think so, it's about what kind of fruit are you," he answered, evidently not catching the irony in Sasuke's voice. Uchiha grabbed the other male's hand, squeezing it gently.

"And what fruit are you?" he inquired. In moments like these forgetting about everything that was currently wrong with him was quite easy.

"I don't know yet but banana sounds kind of cool," he replied and giggled. "...and now I know which answers I should select if I wanted to be a banana," he mused, sounding rather disappointed that he wouldn't be able to truly learn what was his spirit fruit. "Oh, and you're in here, too! Look, a whole article on you. It's from when they were still believing that you might be straight."

"_Might_ be?"

"Yup. And they're saying that you look like a sexy vampire," the man laughed sincerely at the contents of the article. "God, it's so silly. And there's even a whole section on how to imitate your style. I didn't know you were this goth."

"I'm not goth," Sasuke replied and finally opened his eyes, ogling the silly piece of writing. "I'm practically naked there," he noticed, quite shocked.

"My poor, little Sasuke. Don't you know that the internet is filled with porn galleries of you?"

"...you're making me wonder how do _you_ know that," Uchiha whispered into the blonde's ear, happy that he was able to make Naruto blush.

"Mr Uchiha?" a woman read his name aloud, and when the brunette stood up, she showed him into the doctor's office. Sasuke looked at Uzumaki one more time, and mouthed 'perv,' before going into it. He enjoyed seeing him flustered.

* * *

><p>"So, what is it?" Naruto inquired. Sasuke unhappily noticed that the blonde returned to his normal self.<p>

"It's nothing serious," he replied. His left wrist was immobilized with a splint. "I can't use it for another 48 hours, though," he complained. Sometimes he felt as if the house was a living creature that was physically defending itself against any alterations.

"Don't worry, after I'll get my eight hours long sleep, I'll be be able to cover your share of packing," Uzumaki answered and grinned widely, showing off all of his teeth.

"You still want to go back there?" Sasuke asked in a low voice.

"...well… not really, but you do, right? I mean, if you don't want to, we can live in my apartment. Or anywhere else, I'm not especially attached to it."

"You don't have to be with me all the time," he said.

"You've told me to not leave you alone," Naruto replied and smiled softly. "And I've told you I won't."

"You don't have to take everything literally," the brunette whined, trying to hide his embarrassment. Nevertheless, he had to admit that he appreciated the gesture. And he didn't want to go back to the Uchiha mansion, where, as it appeared now, every single bed and room was out of question. Itachi managed to taint them all. "But we can spend the night at your place," he agreed. "I'll have to buy a new bed tomorrow," he added, his voice sour.

"That's a pretty good idea," Naruto said, and helped Sasuke with putting the coat on. The brunette didn't really need his help but it felt nice. He leaned for a kiss but then he heard doors opening, and he stopped himself, immediately distancing himself from his partner, who looked at him miserably. He cursed himself, and leaned again, deciding that it didn't matter anymore if anyone saw. He pulled the blonde for a kiss with his right arm, brushing his lips against the other man's cheek and jawline. He heard someone clear his throat.

"Got any problem with me?" Sasuke growled at the woman, who made a stupid 'eek' noise and escaped into a bathroom.

"Way to go, Sasuke," the blonde scolded the other man. "You can't just scare some innocent people," he said.

"I didn't scare her," he retorted. The annoying idiot patted him on the head.

"Of course not. She just _really_ needed to use the restroom," he mocked the brunette, and put on his own jacket. "Let's go home," he suggested, and they left the clinic.

* * *

><p>If Naruto was to say that he wasn't glad about being in his own apartment, he would lie. When he woke up, Sasuke was still sleeping, and the blonde cherished the moment. It was peaceful and serene. The time he spent in the Uchiha mansion was pretty emotional. He looked at his lover, wondering if there will ever come a day when Sasuke decides that leaving his past where it belongs is a good idea. Uzumaki could see how tiring and nerve-racking these last few days were for the brunette.<p>

The hardest and most difficult thing for him was to accept that there was a part of Sasuke that hated him for what happened four years ago. And Naruto felt guilty for it. He still didn't know what exactly happened but if it was anything resembling what was going on right now, then he hated himself too. He was a shitty friend.

Uchiha fidgeted abruptly, and opened his black eyes widely. Naruto put his hand on the other man's shoulder reassuringly.

"Hi," he murmured pointlessly. Sasuke looked around, as if trying to guess where he was, then it finally dawned on him, and he smiled at the blonde.

"Morning," the brunette whispered and relaxed his body, stretching his long legs. Then he raised his left arm, studying the wrist splint. "So yesterday happened," he muttered, and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed and raised his head, admiring the still sleepy Uchiha.

"Your cheek returned to normal," he noticed, and sighed heavily. "I keep disappointing you, don't I?" he mused, and closed his eyes.

"You don't," the blonde replied and kissed Sasuke's neck softly. It tasted like dust and sweat. "You need to take a shower," he said, and smiled. "You taste like basement," he added before he could stop himself, and the brunette's face frowned at the unwanted memories. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, but I could be a little bit more sensitive," he muttered, angry at himself for ruining the morning.

"I'm not made of glass," Sasuke retorted and forced himself to smile.

"Sometimes you are," the blonde disagreed, and his partner shot eyes at him, visibly not happy about what he just said. "Everyone is," he added, trying to soften the blow.

* * *

><p>Itachi looked around the game room, eying other patients with studied politeness. The healthier ones were gathering close to one another, as if they were afraid that if they were to come in contact with the drooling ones, their sanity level would drop as well. The… less healthy ones were just sitting wherever nurses seated them. One of them was placed in front of Itachi, who rolled huge dice (all the game elements had to be big so nobody would swallow them), and moved his pawn, a blue bear with a stupid grin, five fields forward. Itachi's companion, a long-haired blonde, moved his pawn, a pink happy snail, by ten fields without rolling dice. Uchiha had to agree that it made sense. He lifted the blue bear, and placed it fifteen fields forward. The other player raised his eyebrow at him, and moved Itachi's pawn three fields back. <em>So there are some rules<em>, Itachi mused.

The game was pointless and colorful. The patients weren't allowed to play cards because it might lead to violence. Itachi missed cards. He used to play poker a lot-and he was losing a lot, but his favorite game was bridge. And Shisui was his favorite bridge partner. They were able to understand one another without saying a word. Sasuke always sucked at it, he was never able to play in a team. Itachi laughed at his memories. Shisui was the only one with whom he was never afraid to bid the grand slam. With Sasuke he never went further than two in a color. Even if Itachi's hand alone was good enough to bid at least four-he knew that Sasuke would somehow fuck everything up, take the trick that was already theirs with what Itachi played or whatever. His brother never counted cards. He probably hated bridge, he was always the last-sometimes Mikoto would pity him and make herself lose on purpose but that just made Sasuke angrier.

Itachi once again moved his pawn by twelve fields but the blonde sitting in front of him protested incomprehensibly, and moved it back by five fields.

"It _is_ possible to roll twelve twice in a row," Itachi complained but it didn't convince his companion. Rolling a seven was the most probable outcome. If he was to move in sevens up till the end of the game, he'd lose. Itachi sighed with irritation. Perhaps next time he'll be able to move by ten.

"How are you feeling today, Itachi?" Konan asked him politely. She leaned over him, one of her breasts was pressing against his right shoulder blade. It was uncomfortable.

"Very well, doctor," he answered, knowing that the woman _wasn't_ a doctor. But she loved being addressed like this.

"Do you like your new meds?" she questioned, and sat next to the two. The blonde stopped playing, evidently waiting for Konan to walk away. The woman took out her notebook, and started scribbling something in it.

"I liked the previous ones more," Itachi admitted. "These make me nauseous," he clarified.

"I'll inform the doctor," Konan promised. "We'll have to reschedule your session with him, though," she added. The blonde tried to flip the table which was screwed to the floor. Then he simply threw the game pieces off of it. Itachi frowned, and the blonde was taken away by a nurse. Konan acted as if nothing out of ordinary happened. She put her opened notebook on the tabletop. Itachi stole a quick glance at it. The page was covered with some random doodles but he was also able to notice a "we need to talk" written in a cute cursive.

"I need to go to bathroom," Itachi said loudly. Konan shrugged her shoulders, and lead him there. The man entered the cabin, and sat on the toilet, still completely clothed. The woman handed him some newspaper clippings through the slit between the ground and the toilet doors. Itachi was one of the few who were allowed to close their toilet doors.

Itachi looked quickly through the clippings. There wasn't anything particularly interesting in them, maybe apart from the one with a photo showing Sasuke and some guy hugging. Itachi frowned at the picture. Sasuke looked happy in it. And he apparently decided to come out.

"Is this what you wanted to talk about, doctor?" he asked in a hushed voice. He didn't hear anyone coming into the bathroom but he didn't want to risk being overheard.

"I just think that it's unfair-that you're here, and he's there," Konan whispered. "He gets to be happy and you're treated like a criminal."

"I hope that this will change," Itachi replied. They had to return now.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong with him?" Sakura asked in a panicked voice. She was standing in the parking lot for the last thirty minutes, and it was goddamn November. Her face and hands were reddened from cold.<p>

"He's fine," Naruto replied immediately. This day was perfect. He and Sasuke spent a nice morning together, then he was able to convince his boyfriend to go to the hardware and furniture centre with Sakura. And they had fun. Naruto drove the woman all over the mall in a shopping cart, and Sasuke was actually smiling. But then he told his friends that he needs to go to the bathroom and disappeared for over forty minutes. Naruto had to leave Sakura alone at the cash register, and roam the mall in search for Sasuke. He was, obviously, hidden in the toilet, sitting on the (disgusting) floor and not being able to breath properly. The day stopped being perfect. Naruto had to carry Sasuke outside since a security guard told them to leave the cabin almost the moment the blonde went inside. Apparently some customer claimed that they were having loud and obnoxious sex there. Naruto didn't know _why_, he just asked his boyfriend if everything was all right. He lifted the brunette almost forcefully, making him stand up, and lead him out. After a short while it became clear that Sasuke wasn't exactly able to follow him, so he carried him out, freaking out about Uchiha's heart rate. The blonde could feel it through both of their shirts (since their jackets were unzipped), and it was beating insanely fast.

"What do you mean he's _fine_?! Look at him, he's everything but _fine_," Sakura bellowed loudly, reaching for Sasuke's hand. "For fuck's sake, Naruto, he might suffocate," she pointed out, and brushed the dark bangs from the brunette's forehead. She touched it delicately, and Sasuke shrugged when he felt her, probably freezing, hand touching his skin.

"Just give him some time," Naruto pleaded. He didn't even know_ what_ caused Sasuke to run away and hide. It could be virtually anything. And now Sakura was possibly just stressing him out even more. "When are they supposed to deliver the bed?" he inquired casually, pretending that Uchiha wasn't heavy as fuck, and that he didn't wish he could just sit with him. Sakura checked her watch.

"In one hour," she answered absentmindedly, still observing Sasuke. Naruto smiled at her affectionately. If he was to leave her alone for more than an hour, no matter the reason, she would probably tear him apart. But she always had a soft spot for the brunette.

"Can you drive us to Sasuke's? I'll take care of him."

Sakura nodded, and Naruto handed her the keys to his Toyota. The woman opened the car, and packed brushes, paint, and other equipment into the trunk while Uzumaki somehow managed to place himself and Sasuke on the back seat. He embraced the other male softly, watching Sakura sit on the driver's seat and start the engine. Her hands were slightly shaking.

"Sorry, Sasuke, we had to leave," he apologized the brunette, whispering into his ear. Uchiha finally opened his eyes, and shot Naruto a shocked stare. Some wrinkles appeared on his forehead, and the blonde ironed them with his finger, smiling warmly. "Don't do that or your face will stay like this forever," he threatened the male, and turned his eyes away, watching the road. Nothing was easy.

When they finally arrived to the haunted house, Sasuke was able to walk again but Naruto still decided to let him rest, and left him alone in the living room. He and Sakura went upstairs.

"Now you're going to tell me what's wrong with him," she demanded in a hushed voice. The woman started to take some of the things out of Sasuke's father's study.

"...sometimes he is like this. But it passes, so don't worry," he mumbled incomprehensibly. He didn't feel too certain about discussing panic attacks with anyone.

"Well, I can see that you're totally cool with it. And it wasn't even two weeks. I'd be freaking out if Kakashi was like this," she whined. "Is this a _normal_ happening? Are you really _so_ used to it?"

Uzumaki bit his lip, and closed his eyes. _Of course I'm not._

"...what else can I do?" he mused in a defeated voice. "It's not going to change, so…"

"SO what?" she interrupted him. "Naruto, you can't just pretend that he's fine, I mean… even _you_ aren't fine, and you're always fine. Just… let me help, all right?" the woman pleaded quietly.

"Sakura, it's just… not perfect. But that's normal," he replied, and forced a smile on his face.

"_Really?_ I'm your _friend_, Naruto," she whined. "I shouldn't learn about something like _this_ only because I happened to witness it. It's probably bothering you _a lot_."

"Well... I don't think that you're telling me _everything_ as well," he retorted, and closed the doors. Sakura eyed him, and huffed with annoyance.

"My mother believes that Kakashi is a big fat mistake, and that I'm ruining my life because I'm not dating _you_," she hissed, and folded her arms. Naruto chuckled unwillingly, and Sakura's expression softened.

"Sorry, parents tend to love me," the blonde said, and laughed heartily. "But why would Kakashi be a mistake? He's our editor-in-chief now."

"I _know_. But, apparently, if you didn't settle down before you're thirty then you never plan on doing this, and he'll leave me alone when it's too late for me to be loved by anyone," she confessed, and rolled her eyes.

"It will never be too late for you, Sakura," the man reassured her. "Does your mother know that I'm dating Sasuke?"

"_Duh_," the woman grunted. "She reads newspapers. But she claims that you're just depressed that I dumped you, so you're trying to take a revenge on me by having an affair with my former crush," she snorted.

"Whoa. I'm pretty desperate," he noticed.

"Right? You should move on already," Sakura mocked him and ruffled his hair. Her green eyes lit with joy. The light quickly vanished and her expression became more serious. "That's it, this is my big secret I didn't tell you about," she declared. "Now tell me what's wrong with Sasuke."

"You should try talking with him instead," Naruto pointed out and rubbed his temples.

"I saw him like this once," she realized. "And he made me promise that I won't tell you," Sakura added, and blushed with embarrassment. "Back then I thought that he liked me and trusted me more. But I guess that he simply didn't want to worry you."

"I never noticed it," Naruto whispered and sighed heavily.

"He's not like us," the woman mused. "We wear our hearts on our sleeves. And he was always this extremely private person. I understand why you don't want to talk about _him_," she added. "But what about you? How are you taking all of this? He probably has it worse but it has to take some toll on you-the whole murder case and these _happenings_."

"I didn't have time to actually reflect on all of this. Everything's happening very fast," Naruto admitted. "So I guess I'm doing fine," he said hastily and forced himself to grin like an idiot.

"...but are you happy?" Sakura asked worryingly, and grabbed the blonde's hand, squeezing it friendly.

"...I don't know," he replied almost inaudibly. The woman embraced him strongly, practically forcing him to bury his head in her small breasts. He tried to laugh but failed. Instead, his body betrayed him, wetting Sakura's blouse with salty tears. She gently planted a kiss on the top of his head.

"Naruto, you don't have to do everything on your own," she whispered. "And if… _this_… doesn't work out, you shouldn't blame yourself," the woman added softly, and patted Naruto's back.

"Am I interrupting something?" Sasuke hissed coldly, and Uzumaki raised his head abruptly, hitting Sakura in chin. The woman cringed in pain. The blonde didn't even hear the doors opening.

"No," she answered, and rubbed her face, smiling reassuringly at Naruto. "We just had to catch up with each other."

"...sorry," the brunette said. Then he looked at Naruto's face, and frowned. "I'll just… go," he decided, and started to leave the room. The blonde grabbed his hand, and pulled him in.

"We're not painting this room by ourselves," he said in a cheerful voice. Sakura squinted with suspicion but didn't say anything. "But you're not doing any precise work 'cos you'd probably fuck up with this hand of yours," Naruto added and grinned widely. He just had to survive a couple of rough days. It will get better.

* * *

><p>"How do you feel knowing that Sasuke wanted to commit suicide?" Itachi's real doctor inquired in a bored voice. The man had to pause and do an "uhm" sound after every word he spoke.<p>

"Terribly," Itachi replied immediately. Parents would kill his brother just like they did with Shisui. They had to be stopped. When Itachi read the report in which Sasuke told Sarutobi that he almost killed himself last night, Itachi's heart stopped.

"You've hurt him," the doctor replied slowly. Itachi lowered his gaze. His brother had Shisui's eyes, arms, back, and feet. He was beautiful.

"I regret that," he admitted. He wasn't lying. "I wasn't myself."

"Did you know or suspect that he might had wanted to kill himself?" the old man asked. His questions were more like police ones, not psychologist's.

"No," he muttered. "I didn't know my brother very well."

"Why did you hurt him?" _He looks like Shisui._

"He killed my parents," Itachi responded.

"They were his parents as well," the man pointed out, evidently proud of himself. _Fucking Sherlock._

"And he killed them."

"Why did you use acid? There are easier ways to hurt someone…" _He looks like Shisui. He has his eyes. He has his body. And this body was in every fucking magazine and all over the internet. Everyone could see him. These photos were supposed to be mine only._

"It was the first thing I grabbed. I used to be interested in chemistry, and I still had some reagents stashed in my room. I didn't think this through."

"Why didn't you go after his eyes then? This is what one usually does with acid, am I right?" _They are Shisui's. _

"Blinding is cruel," Itachi stated blankly.

"And scarring isn't?"

"I've already said that I regret this," he said hastily.

"Umm, doctor? I believe you're being too rough with our patient," Konan reprimanded the older man. She usually avoided speaking up to him.

"I'll prescribe him more tranquilizers then. He needs to start talking. He's been lying all this time," the doctor said, and scratched his stomach absentmindedly.

"I'm not lying," Itachi protested. He didn't like the doctor.

"You are. You claim that you knew about your brother's homosexuality, and that he had a drugged wine, but you also try to fool me into thinking that you didn't realize that he wanted to kill himself. Do you hate your brother?" _I don't know._

"No."

"But he killed your parents," the man pointed out.

"_They were his parents as well_," Itachi repeated the doctor's words. The man didn't like this. Apparently only he could be brilliant.

"How would you describe your relationship with parents?" _They killed Shisui._

"It was good," he answered.

"And you were never jealous of your brother? I'm certain that after he was born they didn't pay as much attention to you as they used to before," the doctor mused. _They didn't have to. I was everything they wanted in a child. And Sasuke wasn't._

"I was jealous but it didn't last very long," Itachi replied hesitantly. He probably had to say _something_. The man cocked his eye at him, evidently believing that he had found a new lead.

"Why were you jealous?" _You've just said why I could be jealous._

"Because I wasn't their only child anymore. And they didn't have time for me."

"Did you wish for your brother to disappear?" _No._

"Yes, there were moments when I wanted him to disappear," Uchiha agreed. "But I was a small child back then. After three or four years I started to love him."

"What did you love in him?" Itachi felt as if he was interrogated.

"He admired me," he stated. "And it made me feel needed."

"And now he doesn't need you anymore?"

"...I guess so. He's an adult now. Why is it important?"

"You're accusing him of murdering your parents, and you're witnessing against him. Out of your own free will, if I might add. It doesn't add up with what you've said about regretting what you've did to him or your _love_ for him."

"Why?"

"You should feel guilty, and I have some of the previous doctors' notes on you. If I were to trust them, then I'd have to deem what you're doing highly improbable. You shouldn't have it in you."

"I shouldn't try to put my parents' murderer behind bars?"

"You didn't try to do this for a rather long period of time. Back then it would make sense. Now you've done something you claim you're regretting but instead of repenting-which is something I'd expect of you, you're trying to ruin his life even more. And now you know that it was a negligent homicide, so you're well aware of the fact that your brother never planned to do this. But it doesn't bother you at all."

"I think that what you're doing is highly unethical," Konan growled. Her arms were crossed, and she glared daggers at the man, who simply raised an eyebrow at her, evidently not caring about what she just said.

"You and I both know that _you_, my friend, have done things that are even more controversial," he retorted. "I know that Itachi is somehow able to give press interviews, and I _know_ that he's able to do so thanks to you. This could ruin your career," he mused happily. The woman's eyes widened in panic. _If she's going to fall apart now, I'm screwed._ "But I didn't do anything about it _yet_. So shut up."

"I don't deserve to be here," Itachi interrupted them.

"So you're willing to put your brother in a far worse place?" _There isn't one._

"He won't end up in prison."

"How can you be so sure about this?" _Because it was a negligent homicide, and he tried to fucking kill himself at the time._

"He tried to kill himself, the jury will decide that he couldn't think clearly when he did that."

"You've said you didn't know that he wanted to kill himself," the doctor chuckled lightly. "See, you're a liar. You're lucky that you're not the one facing a trial. I would have to give _my_ files on you to the police."

"..."

"There's another thing I always wanted to ask you about. See, in those earlier interviews, whenever someone asked you if your cousin's suicide had any impact on you, you'd always say no. But, then again, this is when you've started to gamble. So please, tell me about Shisui."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter took me forever, I know. I'm sorry, I've just promised you weekly updates. I'm really sorry. I hope that you didn't abandon this fic :) And, when it comes to _why_ it took me so long... I kinda started another story? :D It's also sasunarusasu (well, this one is more narusasunaru but whatever), and while this one has over the top angst, my other one is supposed to be much lighter in tone. I encourage you to read it-I really like it :) And now, since I'm writing _two_ stories, my updates will be more irregular. I mean, I'm _always _writing one or the other, but you know, this one wasn't updated for almost a month (god, I really fucked up), and my other one is already over 20k words long (pfft, I'm a prolific author). And now, since I can always write the one I'm in mood for (this one is rather depressing, to be honest), I don't know which one will be updated when. So, umm, self-advertisement, the title is "Writer's Best Friend." :)  
><strong>

**I've finally written some Itachi POV :D And the next chapter will be (probably) almost exclusively a huge flashback. Please review, it's my fuel :)**


	13. Love

"So please, tell me about Shisui."

* * *

><p>He was perfection.<p>

They met each other when they were toddlers. Fugaku and his brother somehow managed to impregnate their wives at more or less the same time, and this stupid coincidence united their families. Itachi didn't mind it because he and Shisui got on like a house on fire.

As kids they were just glad that there was someone they could play with during boring family reunions. Then Itachi's mother got pregnant again, and Shisui told him that the new child will replace him. Itachi started to cry, and his cousin was panicking because Itachi _didn't_ cry. And he was probably afraid that he'd get in trouble for that, so he tried to bribe his friend with his favorite toys. Itachi didn't care for toys, he didn't want to be erased from existence. Then Shisui told him that if the new child will really replace him, then he could live with his family. Somehow this concept really appealed to Itachi, so he stopped sobbing almost immediately. When he came home that night, he already planned what he'd have to pack.

Then Sasuke was born, and when Itachi's parents returned from hospital, they were more than shocked when they found him packed and impatiently waiting for the moment he'll move out. He felt disappointed when they told him that he wasn't going anywhere. Sasuke was annoying. He was crying all the time, and Itachi couldn't even play with him because he was too small to do anything. But, then again, he was spending even more time at Shisui's house because his mother was too tired to take care of two children at once.

After some months Itachi got used to Sasuke. His father kept repeating him that Sasuke was his little brother and that Itachi will have to take care of him. Itachi wasn't even surprised that _he_ was able to care of himself on his own, and that his brother wasn't. The little blob seemed completely incapable of doing _anything_. He wouldn't even speak, and laughed stupidly whenever something colorful appeared in front of his silly little eyes.

* * *

><p>When he grew up a little bit, Shisui and Itachi were forced to play with him as well. They didn't like it, Sasuke's legs were too short to catch up with them whenever they were running, and he didn't go to school yet so he didn't get them, and was, generally speaking, a four-year-old. Itachi and Shisui were already eight, so the gap between them and Sasuke was uncrossable. Luckily enough, they were already studying a second language, so, much to Sasuke's discontent, they were able to communicate with each other in simplest sentences without him knowing what exactly they were saying. At one point he tried to imitate them, saying gibberish. Somehow it made Itachi feel sorry for his brother.<p>

* * *

><p>As they grew older, the gap between them and Sasuke grew wider. Especially since Itachi's younger brother was becoming more and more socially awkward. They weren't playing together anymore. To be exact, Shisui and Itachi stopped playing altogether. They were already fourteen, and he was ten.<p>

That was when it happened for the first time. Shisui used to stay with Itachi for one month every Summer. He was usually sleeping in the guest room which was located on the first floor. That year they discovered cigarettes (they were stealing them from their respective fathers), and Shisui was sneaking into Itachi's room almost every night. The two boys were sitting on a window sill, and smoking, sharing one cig.

"It's like an indirect kiss," Shisui joked. Their legs and sides were touching; the still was pretty narrow. The boy handed him the cigarette, and coughed. They still didn't know how to smoke back then. Itachi wasn't very fond of the taste, at least in the beginning. However, he had to admit that there was something strangely comforting about how the smoke was filling his throat and lungs, making him pleasantly dizzy. He grabbed the cig, brushing his fingers over Shisui's. For some reason, it felt awkward. Just like his cousin's comment. Itachi cleared his throat, trying to look unamused.

"It's nothing like that," he protested, and sucked in the smoke once again. He let it out through his nose, enjoying the view of blueish spirals dissolving into warm Summer night.

"As if you've ever kissed," Shisui exclaimed, and Itachi covered his loud mouth with his hand. If they were to be discovered, they'd be screwed. He felt the boy's dry lips smooching the inside of his hand, and he removed it as if they burnt him. "My parent's are divorcing," he stated blankly, staring into the night sky. The stars were scarce due to the light pollution.

"How do you know?" Itachi inquired carefully, and handed the cigarette to the other male. Each could take only three puffs, that was the unspoken rule.

"I've overheard them," he replied, and leaned forward, resting his elbows on knees. Itachi grabbed him by the back of his shirt, afraid that he might fall down.

"Maybe they were just arguing," he suggested. He could feel Shisui's shoulder blades moving under his t-shirt.

"I've heard them rather good. It's already decided, and I believe that it'll be finished by the end of the year," he muttered absentmindedly, and threw the dog-end out. It landed on the roof. "Damn, sorry," he chuckled, and went out of window, apparently deciding to pick it up. Itachi grabbed his hand.

"I don't want you to break your neck," he explained. He didn't say anything about the divorce, and that was something he regretted for the next few weeks. There wasn't anything he could say, though. He knew that people were usually upset about such events but he himself wouldn't care. "We will still see each other, right?" he asked.

"I don't think that my father's going to disown me," the boy laughed, tiptoeing on the roof. "Wait, is this a revenge for when I've told you that Sasuke's going to take your place?" he chuckled.

"You couldn't have been more wrong about that," Itachi pointed out.

"That's cruel," the boy stated quietly, picking up the cigarette butt. "If he was my brother, I would spoil the shit out of him," he declared, and grinned.

"Mother makes me tutor him. Apparently his grades in history aren't _satisfying_," Itachi complained. He tried to avoid that responsibility with all of his might. He believed that he was actually doing his brother a favor. It wasn't as if he had trouble with passing the course…

"What do you mean _not satisfying_?" Shisui questioned, standing in front of Itachi, who was still holding his hand. They were very close to one another, their noses were almost touching.

"It's B minus," Itachi responded and snorted.

"Uchihas are fucked up," his cousin said as if he wasn't one. "Do you know what the bitch told my mother?" They were calling their fathers' mother a bitch, and the nickname suited her.

"No, what?" the boy asked smiling. Only Shisui could make him smile. Only he understood him. And Itachi was the only one who could understand Shisui. They were destined for one another.

"She said that Uchiha women do not miscarry," he muttered in a grave tone. His face seemed pained, and Itachi found himself pulling him closer, embracing him. "I didn't tell you, right? I was supposed to have a little sister," he confessed in a broken voice. "We would be the same again," he whispered and chuckled bitterly.

Itachi cupped his chin with his hands. The night was warm but they were both shivering.

"Let's fuck up," he proposed. "We're the perfect ones, right?"

"Did you forget that I'm getting disowned, and Sasuke's going to replace you?" Shisui questioned, and rested his arms on Itachi's shoulders. His knees were touching the standing boy's hips.

"Let's make them do that," the boy said boldly, and planted a kiss on his cousin's lips. The other male hesitated for a moment but eventually returned the smooch. His perched lips tasted sourly, like tobacco.

"What, are we all failing history now?" Shisui snickered into his mouth. His curious hands found their way under Itachi's shirt. They were feeling his back shyly, as if afraid that Itachi will change his mind.

"I'm not dumbing myself down," the boy protested. His breath became faster than usually.

"Then I'm gonna tutor your brother," Shisui decided and pushed Itachi into his room. There was a desk standing just by the window, and they landed there. The window frame was hurting Itachi's back but he didn't care. "_Someone_ has to become the last Uchiha," he laughed.

* * *

><p>Two years later they were fucking up regularly. Shisui, as Sasuke's tutor, was visiting them on almost every weekend, and Itachi had a feeling that he was doing that just so they could fuck at night.<p>

When they started doing it one year ago, they were already quite experienced when it came to mutual masturbation, petting, and blowjobs. Despite their decision to fuck up, they were still hiding, and didn't plan to reveal themselves. Nowadays Shisui was spending almost all of his time with Sasuke only to make sure that no-one will suspect them. He even kept repeating that Sasuke was going to be more handsome and taller than Itachi when he'd grow up. Itachi was almost jealous of his little brother. He recently hit puberty, and all of his baby fat disappeared almost at once. And he started to look almost like a human being.

"In a couple of years you'll be the _little_ brother," Shisui mocked him, lying completely naked under him. They were becoming more and more careless. When they had sex for the first time, they made sure that no-one was in the house, and they were almost completely clothed just to make sure that could be able to pretend that they weren't doing anything suspicious in less than one minute.

Shisui's parents were already divorced, and he was living with his father. His mother was constantly fighting over him, and Itachi hated it. He was afraid that if she won, he and Shisui would get separated, and that wasn't something he was willing to accept.

Shisui was perfect. His voice was soft and rather quiet. His eyes were almost completely black, just like Sasuke's. Sometimes Itachi caught himself staring into his brother's and thinking about his lover. It was a torture. Shisui's skin was smooth, and he had the most wonderful beauty mark on his flat stomach. His arms and legs were almost thin, and Shisui didn't like them, what made Itachi obsess over them even more. His feet and hands looked strong, they had visible veins, and their fingers and toes were unusually long. His shoulder blades were always visible, no matter what position he was in. His body was the most beautiful thing Itachi has even seen.

"Are you going to dump me for him then?" he inquired, and bit his lover's neck.

"He's much cuter," Shisui admitted; a quiet moan escaped his lips when Itachi slid his finger into him, massaging his prostate. "But he's also boring as fuck," the man laughed, and arched his back. His thighs trembled in anticipation. "When I'll come here for Holidays… let's do it in his bed," he proposed and smirked mischievously.

"We'll do it in _every_ bed," Itachi promised him. He'd agree to anything.

* * *

><p>Two years later came their last Summer. They were eighteen years old, and from then on they wouldn't be able to see each other as often as they used to. Itachi was brokenhearted because of that. He had to admit that their last days were pretty intense. He wasn't even sure <em>how<em> Shisui was able to endure it all. He _had_ to be sore and pained.

"Do you actually hope that if we fuck too much now you won't need this later?" Itachi asked his lover.

"...too much, you say," Shisui murmured softly. He was kneeling on Sasuke's bed, his elbows buried in the pillow. Itachi pulled his hair, making him scream, and thrusted into him again.

"What would your father say if he saw you begging for my cock like this?" he asked, and the man chuckled, his anus tightening around Itachi's penis.

"Maybe he'd finally disown me," he replied lightly, finally relaxing his body.

"You're really beautiful," Itachi decided, and caressed his sides with affection. He couldn't believe that from now on they would be able to see each other only a couple of times per year.

"And you're already shorter than your younger brother," the man replied, and Itachi roughly shoved his dick into him as punishment. His lover whimpered at the unexpected movement.

"He's a mutant," he stated. He had to admit that Sasuke was becoming really handsome. It was a shame that he was too absorbed with trying to live up to their parents' stupid expectations to actually enjoy this. Now, when he was to be left alone after Itachi would go to college, it will probably just get worse. Itachi would probably end up similarly if it wasn't for Shisui. "And he's still too young for you," he hissed, watching his lover dig his nails into the pillow with satisfaction. "You can't just come here," he whispered into his ear, jerking him off.

"What's stopping me?" the man panted. His dick was already wet with precum.

"I can't understand what do you find so exciting about soiling my little brother's bed with your sperm," he mused, squeezing his lover's balls and pulling them slightly. The man grunted in pain, breathing heavily, and reaching into his anus, trying to fit his finger in there. "You're a real slut," Itachi snorted. "See, you've gotten too loose, my cock can't even fill you properly now, and you have to fuck yourself."

"Yeah, next year you'll have to share me with Sasuke," he muttered.

"...you're mine only," Itachi told him, thrusting into him. "Don't you ever dare to forget that," he threatened him.

"I love you too," Shisui whispered in erratic voice, his eyes shut tight. His cock twitched in Itachi's hand, and it spilled warm liquid all over his fingers. He continued shoving his penis into him, and soon enough filled his lover's anus with semen.

* * *

><p>A couple of weeks later, when Summer was almost over, and Shisui was long gone, Itachi received a letter with his nudes. He hid them in one of Sasuke's old biology textbooks, and he carried it with him in his bag all the time. Except that one time, when he returned home for a weekend, and unpacked his school bag because it had to be washed. He could probably buy himself a new one but this one was a gift from Shisui, and he treasured it. He put the book on his desk with his other belongings, and went out of the house because he had to take care of something.<p>

When he got home, he realized that the textbook was missing. And so were his parents. His heart stopped.

"Itachi, can you help me with this?" Sasuke inquired in his, now usual, blase tone.

"Sorry, Sasuke, maybe next time," he replied absentmindedly, and his brother huffed at him. Itachi was tired of his teenage drama. He had to find the photos. He rummaged through his room, Sasuke's room, and, eventually through all the house but found nothing. Itachi cursed under his nose. He was panicking.

"Sasuke, have you seen your old Biology textbook? It was in my room?" he inquired, trying to appear casual.

"No," his brother answered shortly, evidently still angry at him. He was sitting in the living room, writing something in his stupid notebook. Itachi felt like hitting him but he knew that it wouldn't solve anything. He returned to his room instead, and grabbed his phone. He was gone for three hours before and he had no idea _when_ did his parents find the textbook. If he was to call Shisui now to warn him, it would be probably too late, and, seeing how he didn't get any message from him, it didn't seem too safe. Itachi clenched his fists.

Two hours later his parents returned, and Itachi ran to the kitchen the moment he saw them parking the car in front of the house. His brother was still in the living room, reading something. He started to prepare himself a sandwich, trying to appear as casual, innocent, and not knowing, as it was physically possible.

"Hi," Sasuke greeted their parents. "Where were you?" he inquired, and Itachi was more than grateful to him for asking this question. He focused, trying to overhear everything.

"We visited my brother," Fugaku replied coldly.

"How's Shisui?" Sasuke questioned absentmindedly.

"...he's fine," their mother answered with hesitation. "Why?"

"No reason, I just wanted to know," his younger brother said stupidly. Itachi expected their parents to throw a tantrum but they apparently decided to shove the whole thing under a rug. It wasn't _very_ shocking. This is how they operated.

"You won't be seeing him anymore," father stated blankly, and they both got into their bedroom. Itachi entered the living room. Sasuke seemed mildly surprised and not very interested. Itachi would give everything to have the same look on his face.

"What is it?" he asked his younger brother.

"Apparently we won't see Shisui again," he said slowly.

"Why?"

"Why would _I_ know? They probably argued with uncle about something stupid," he replied, and rolled his eyes. Itachi nodded his head, pretending that he didn't care. Now he had a valid excuse to call his cousin. He reached out for his cellphone, and dialed his number. He went upstairs, and entered his room. Shisui finally picked up the phone.

"..."

"Shisui?"

"...you could've warned me," the man hissed.

"I learned about it just a couple of minutes ago," he lied. "How much do they know?"

"...they don't know _which_ one of you is it," Shisui muttered, and disconnected. Itachi screamed internally. He called him again.

"Shisui, please…"

"Itachi, I'm not even at home, and, from what I know, I'm not allowed to return there," he growled. "And I don't have any money. And my mother now hates me too."

"I'll come get you," he whispered. His blood froze when he heard the other man laugh hysterically.

"Don't make me laugh. You're just a sad little pussy that won't do _anything_ that could actually displease your fucking father," he growled. "I _dare_ you to go there, and tell them that you're having an affair with your cousin. You always wanted to fuck up, didn't you?"

"...Shi…"

"Of _course_, that was only your stupid talking that never meant anything."

"...I _can't_ do this," he admitted. "...do you really want me to?"

"Yes, I do. I'm disowned now, and I don't see why Sasuke can't replace you. We were never meant to be born," he snorted.

"Your parents will calm down eventually," Itachi argued.

"So will _yours_ then. But I _know_ that you don't have the guts to actually do this, fucker," he spitted the words and disconnected. He must had turned the phone off because Itachi wasn't able to reach him again.

After two weeks his parents still didn't say a word, and Itachi wasn't able to contact with Shisui in any way. He even went to the city he was studying in but his cousin apparently disappeared, and no-one knew where he was. Later that night he learned that Shisui was dead.

The next couple of days were a blur. Sasuke was crying in his room, and Itachi was mostly staring in space. He did everything automatically. Their parents seemed uncomfortable. '_They killed Shisui_' Itachi realized. They killed him, and they were looking uncomfortable. Not guilty. Just uncomfortable. They weren't invited to the funeral, and Itachi could see why. Sasuke couldn't, and he was just sobbing pointlessly. A week later mother signed both of them to a psychiatrist. Itachi never went there.

* * *

><p>"There isn't much to tell," Itachi told the doctor. "He used to visit us during Summer, and his death was a huge shock. It made me realize that I'm mortal as well," he added.<p>

"So you've started to lead a rather risky lifestyle…" the man mused, and yawned.

"It was just gambling. Money doesn't mean much if you're afraid of dying."

"So you were trying to escape death?"

"...I don't know."

"Well, you were trying to become a medic, and learning everything there is about human body just to save oneself is not uncommon." _Sure, why not._

"It didn't work," Itachi said, trying to sound unsure.

"Well, you've lost your parents later on…" the doctor murmured, and scribbled something in his notebook. "And now you're fighting to get away from here…" he added, and bit the insides of his cheeks. He looked like a child now. "I believe that we didn't waste our time here today," he concluded happily. _So the next time you see me you'll tell me what's wrong with me._ _And I still don't even know how Shisui killed himself. Did he cut his veins? Did he drug himself? Poisoned? Shot? Drowned? Asphyxiated? Electrocuted? Jumped? Hanged? What did he do, doctor? Would I be able to stop him if I was with him? Would he still do it if I told my parents as well? Why did he leave me alone if he loved me? _

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this one is slightly shorter (but I updated _fast_). The next one will come... in two weeks time tops? And it will focus on Naruto and Sasuke again :) Please review - it means a lot to me :) I'm seriously checking my e-mail like crazy, and whenever someone writes something I literally leap with joy.  
><strong>


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